RESIDENTS have been told the ‘only way’ to repopulate the town centre and deliver more green space is to build high-rise buildings.

Warrington and Co, the council’s economic development and regeneration arm, has been working on a masterplan for the heart of the borough.

It has also been using a 3D tool to assess planning applications for the area.

John Laverick, a senior figure in Warrington and Co’s development team, told the supporting the local economy policy committee the masterplan aims to ‘build on’ the area’s assets, including parklands, during Tuesday’s meeting.

He said Warrington is currently characterised by relatively low-rise buildings but believes the ‘only way’ to get more people into the town centre and deliver improved levels of green space is to construct sites of a greater height.

Mr Laverick highlighted the importance of the Mersey, as well as schemes that will shape the future of the area including Time Square, the Southern Gateway and the John Street residential development.

He said: “The river runs right through the town centre. At the moment, the town centre really turns its back on the river, re-engaging the river is a real central them to what we are trying to do with the masterplan.”

And he told members to expect a number of high-rise buildings in the future – including 12, 13 and 14-storey sites.

He said tall buildings that still ‘fit into the town centre’ will ‘allow us to bring green space in’.

Furthermore, he insisted the proposed sites would not ‘look out of place’ although they could be ‘twice the height of what we have now’.

But Cllr Kath Buckley (CON – Lymm South) asked him what measures can be put in place to ‘make sure’ there is not a similar tragedy to the Grenfell Tower fire.

He said those matters would be dealt with through the building control process.

Cllr Peter Carey (LAB – Fairfield and Howley) also shared his views over the proposals.

He told Mr Laverick he does not share enthusiasm over plans to have a ‘large block’ at the southern end of Bridge Street as it ‘will overshadow the nice buildings’ there.

The council approved a £50 million scheme to build an eight-storey apartment block, with 362 units, and a 796-space car park, on Winwick Street and John Street, last year.

Cllr Carey added that the residential block on John Street will not ‘do any harm’ as it is a ‘blank area’.