Controversial shopping site plan to be considered

Several businesses were given eviction notices earlier this year

Controversial plans which could potentially pave the way to a landlord converting part of a shopping centre into residential accommodation are set to be discussed by councillors later.

Warrington Council officers said a future intention to change part of the CPS Shopping Centre in Culcheth to residential "does appear to be the case" but no change of use was included in the submitted plan.

The proposals include adding windows, increasing bin storage and changing the car park.

Some traders were evicted from the site in February and the issue was raised by the local MP in parliament. The BBC has contacted the agent representing the owner of the shopping centre for a comment.

Several traders were given 28 days to leave the site in February and the issue was raised during Prime Minister's Questions by Warrington North MP Charlotte Nichols.

She said the eviction notices were issued "entirely out of the blue and on spurious pretexts from the new owner".

The proposals include:

• Adding windows on the first and second floors of the complex

• Free standing cycle storage for 14 bikes

• Storage for six large bins

• Changes to the car park which would see two spaces lost and short-term bike storage added

Objections have been received from 139 local residents, alongside three Warrington councillors and a parish councillor.

The residents' objections include concerns over the bins and parking, but also calls for the CPS centre to be safeguarded for shops and businesses and asking for it to be protected as a community hub.

A previous plan for a bike and bin store were refused by Warrington Council in November 2024, with councillors saying it would have a "detrimental impact".

But in planning documents, council officers said the proposed location in the new application - further away from the shopping centre - was "assessed to be acceptable now" and the proposal was "acceptable in principle".

The officers said that a number of the representations from the public did have concerns about intention to convert part of the site into residential use and that "this does seem to be the case".

But they said the application could only be considered on the proposal that had been submitted and not any future development of the site.

Councillors will discuss the plans at a meeting later.