A BID has been made for funding to cover the transformation of an eyesore patch of land in the town centre.
Documents prepared for this month’s Warrington Borough Council cabinet meeting refer to the land as ‘Time Square phase two’.
The site is currently home to the closed DW gym building, with the business vacating the site in August 2020 after administrators were called in.
The impact of the coronavirus pandemic was cited among the reasons why.
Since then, the building appears run down, with an arson fire also being lit in the structure in May 2022.
Earlier this year, plans were submitted by applicant Rodgers Leask Limited to demolish the building, located off Mersey Street.
Documents submitted as part of the application stated that the reason for the demolition was due to the building no longer being in use, but the scheme was withdrawn in April.
A small section of the report due to come before the council’s cabinet gives an update on Time Square, as previously reported.
However, there is a line which says: “A Brownfield Land Remediation Fund application has been submitted for Time Square phase two.”
When pressed for more information by the Warrington Guardian, a spokesman just confirmed that Time Square phase two is the area currently occupied by the former DW building on Academy Way.
In December, under the previous Conservative Government, the third round of the £180million Brownfield Land Release Fund Two was opened to councils to deliver thousands of new homes and jobs by regenerating brownfield land.
In July, the new Labour Government announced planning reforms which included a prioritisation of brownfield and grey belt land.
If successful, it will be interesting to see what form of development could follow on the DW site.
Units remain vacant at Time Square phase one, despite the flagship, £142million town centre leisure development being completed in 2020.
Council documents also say that the local authority is currently looking at re-focusing the uses of empty restaurant units in Time Square, with office use starting to generate some interest.
One option could be more residential development such as flats.
The site next to DW was demolished in July last year, having formerly been home to Bank House.
The office block made way ahead of a huge construction project comprising a 10-storey, 80-apartment block, with a rooftop garden, offices and shops.
However, since demolition was completed, no construction work has started.
When asked by the Warrington Guardian in April what they would like to see happen to the site, the most popular suggestion was an NHS walk-in urgent treatment centre.
However, when approached by the Warrington Guardian at the time, a spokesman for the NHS in Warrington said: “There are not currently any plans to open a new walk-in centre in Warrington town centre.”
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