NEW plans to convert a popular former town centre nightclub into apartments have been revealed.

An application for planning permission submitted to Warrington Borough Council seeks to turn the Auction Rooms, on Legh Street, into 12 flats.

Proposals for six one-bedroom and six two-bedroom units also involve the conversion of the neighbouring retail units – Kubus Polski Sklep and A&D Needham, a pawnbrokers which has since moved to Bridge Street – at the ground floor.

A previous similar application was withdrawn last month.

The venue was a popular haunt in the late noughties when it was known as WA1 and was also previously known as the Osale Rooms, having briefly opened as a lap dancing bar in 2013.

It had remained open in its current guise until the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting social distancing measures in hospitality first hit in spring last year.

Documents lodged as part of the latest submission stated: “The proposal aims to retain and utilise as much of the existing building as possible.

“The proposed design utilises the existing building’s external features and openings and limits the external alterations to a minimum to avoid any detrimental effect on the local area.

“The proposed development makes use of an existing building that is no longer suitable for its original or previous uses.

“The proposed use is for much needed local town centre residential accommodation.

“The repurposing of an existing town centre building into a much-needed requirement is in line with a number of local and national planning policies.”