Warrington's big planning stories of the last year

A number of notable planning developments took place across the town in the last 12 months, and here we'll look back on some of the biggest.

From levelling a power station to building new supermarkets, a lot took place across Warrington in the past year.

Here are the 10 biggest planning stories covered by the Warrington Guardian in 2023.

Fiddler's Ferry

The cooling towers were blown down in December (Image: Supplied)

The demolition of the iconic cooling towers finally took place in December 2023.

Having been decommissioned in 2020, Fiddler's Ferry was slated for demolition for some time, and the button was pressed on December 3.

Visible for miles around, the four cooling towers stood at the site from its opening in 1971 until they were demolished last month.

The land is set to be put to use as a mixture of residential and industrial properties in the years to come.

Trident Business Park

The Noggin Inn will be demolished as part of the Trident Business Park plans (Image: Newsquest)

Controversial plans were approved to expand Trident Business Park, off Warrington Road.

The plans will see a new distribution hub created, to the dismay of many residents and councillors.

Works are expected to begin in 2024, following an unsuccessful campaign from residents who wished to halt the development.

The expansion will see the demolition of the Noggin Inn, with the land being used as part of the new development.

Former sex dungeon plans accepted

The barn burnt down in 2012 (Image: Newsquest)

The site of a former sex dungeon in Orford is set to become flats, as the latest in a long list of planning applications has finally been approved.

Orford Farm was gutted by a fire over a decade ago, but was home to a sex fetish dungeon, and had rooms including a headteacher's study and pigsty.

The plans that were approved by the council will see 45 flats constructed at the site, after the ground is levelled for the development.

New Aldi store

The new Aldi store was completed and opened in Warrington this year (Image: Newsquest)

Warrington welcomed its newest Aldi store in 2023, which can be found at Gemini retail park.

The site on Europa Boulevard is much transformed from the former Arnold Clark dealership, which moved across the road after the closure of Toys’R’Us.

This is the German discount retailer’s fifth Warrington store, joining sister shops in Stockton Heath, the town centre, Birchwood and Orford.

Aldi says this store was needed to take the strain off the existing Fordton Retail Park store, which it says was over-trading.

The chain says 44 jobs have been created at the new store for local people.

Cockhedge partial demolition begins

The partial demolition of the shopping centre has begun (Image: Supplied)

Cockhedge Shopping Centre is undergoing a revamp, which began with its partial demolition.

The works are taking place in order to allow the site to appeal to the nighttime economy, with developers saying that they want the facility to attract more evening visitors.

More than a dozen units at the site are set to be demolished, and the frontage of the centre has already been torn off during the partial demolition.

New Lidl site

The new Lidl opened in September (Image: Newsquest)

Not content with just one more Aldi site, Warrington also said hello to a new Lidl store, too.

The mammoth store opened its doors on the Omega site in September 2023, off Fortress Boulevard.

Previously, the area's closest Lidl could be found in Sankey Bridges, at the Pink Eye roundabout.

Old bus depot is demolished

The old depot was subject to demolition last year (Image: Newsquest)

The demolition of Warrington's former bus depot took place last year, with the area being levelled to make room for a housing development in the near future.

Having stood for decades, the depot had been replaced with the town's new depot, which is home to Warrington's fleet of electric buses.

The new construction made the old depot surplus to requirements, and the building was pulled down in a matter of weeks.

This is part of the council's plan to increase the amount of housing available near the town centre, with an ambition to have housing on the vacant land in the near future.

Junction Nine expansion

The retail park is expanding (Image: Newsquest)

Plans have been approved by Warrington Borough Council’s planning department relating to four units at the complex off Winwick Road.

This follows an application for a variation of conditions by applicant Derwent Development Management.

Plans relate to the units to the north of the site next to Subway, and these sought permission for a change of use of two existing units to retail, as well as the installation of mezzanine floors.

Documents submitted as part of the application state that the units will be occupied by Home Bargains and Poundland, with drawings suggesting the former will also include a café.

The current Home Bargains store looks set to move further to the north of the site, with it not clear as of yet what will move into its current unit.

New Living Well Hub

The hub is currently under construction (Image: Newsquest)

Developers have been hard at work transforming the former Contact Warrington site on Horsemarket Street into the Living Well Hub.

It is a three-storey ‘one-stop shop’ aimed at helping people live as happily, healthily, and independently as possible.

Space will be shared in the new hub by teams from Warrington Borough Council, Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Bridgewater Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust.

Voluntary and charitable sector partners are also set to provide services to support Warrington residents and their families

River's Edge

River's Edge is well on the way to completion (Image: Newsquest)

Work to build more than 500 homes is progressing at pace as part of the Rivers Edge housing scheme, with many complete and having welcomed their new owners.

Work on the huge scheme commenced in December 2021, on the former Spectra Packaging site next to Centre Park and along the River Mersey.

Hundreds of new homes are being built by developer Countryside on either side of Centre Park link road off Chester Road.

Of the 500-plus home development, 258 will be for open sale, 150 will be for rent managed by Sigma Capital, and 105 will be affordable homes managed by Torus.

The site will comprise 413 two, three and four-bedroom houses and 100 apartments.

The site is so large in fact, it is not impossible to believe that this area of Warrington will be referred to as Rivers Edge, in the same way we would say we live in Birchwood or Latchford or Great Sankey.