WARRINGTON Borough Council says it is keen to work with potential new owners of two huge empty shops.

Large units remain vacant in the town centre after being vacated by Marks and Spencer and Debenhams.

M&S moved out of the former Sankey Street shop in the summer of 2017, with the retailer remaining in the town through a large base at Gemini.

The mammoth unit formerly occupied by Debenhams has lain empty since the business departed Golden Square Shopping Centre in May 2021.

In December last year, the Warrington Guardian reported that shopping centre bosses were in discussions with a number of interested occupiers.

An update on both units was given in a council report entitled ‘Warrington Means Business’, under a section headed ‘repurposing town centre assets’.

The report states: “There is currently an opportunity to repurpose the former large retail units previously occupied by Marks and Spencer and Debenhams.

“The council is keen to work with the new owners to actively manage and repurpose these assets, ideally into employment uses and utilise the existing 1,700 car park already attached to Golden Square.”

An example of what can be done to bring a vacant store back into use was given as The Hive.

The Sankey Street premises was formerly occupied by Co-op and TJ Hughes.

On the building, the report adds: “The Hive development is a private investment in the town’s historic former Co-op department store that totals 120,000 square feet.

“The development has launched as a set of boutique retail arcades, co working space and hotel, and is an example of a focus on boutique retailing and mixed uses that is repurposing large, deep-plan, functionally obsolete retail units into smaller, high-end retail.”