AN ENORMOUS scheme to build 550 homes and a 160-bed hotel on a car park in Warrington town centre has been approved.

The land on Winwick Street is currently used as a car park but plans submitted to Warrington Borough Council will see it become a huge multi-storey development.

The planning application for the council-owned land was submitted to Warrington Borough Council and approved in 2022, subject to conditions.

This application proposed the erection of a mixed-use development comprising of four blocks of up to 12 storeys, which would accommodate up to 550 dwellings, a 160-bed hotel, commercial office or retail space and 200 residential parking spaces.

However, the adoption of the Local Plan meant that it had to come before councillors again before it could be approved.

The site, known as the Wireworks, is approximately 1.2 hectares in size and is split between Tanners Lane and Winwick Street.

(Image: How it could look)

A minimum of 10 per cent of the proposed 550 dwellings, 55 homes, would be affordable housing. This will be re-assessed and potentially increased when 75 per cent of the dwellings are occupied.

At a Warrington Borough Council planning meeting on Thursday, concerns were raised regarding a lack of green space for the proposed residents.

“There is just no provision for any outside space and I’m struggling to think where in that area of town any child would be able to go and play,” said Cllr Judith Wheeler.

“So, if we are building up to 500 dwellings with no outside space, I just think that it’s not acceptable.”

However, it was heard that the scheme will be required to provide some form of outside space including balconies in some instances, a resident’s garden and potentially a rooftop garden.

Despite two members voting against it, the majority of the committee voted to approve the plan.