Motion to Council: Better Design for Warrington

Warrington Liberal Democrats are calling for a cross-party Council group to be set up to establish a set of design principles that are ambitious for new buildings in the town.

Our Borough Council group put forward a motion at the meeting on Monday 20^th June which was supported by opposition councillors but voted down by the ruling Labour Group.

Our Environment and Planning Spokesperson Cllr Ryan Bate said: We are disappointed that our Motion was not passed. We wanted to draw on government guidance for 'beautiful buildings', best national and international practice and set up a design panel to advise the Council on architecture, design, heritage and sustainability.

Our town is changing at a fast pace with changing retail and working patterns, the need to repopulate the town centre and our infrastructure demands. Time Square is a good example of a recent successful development. We want to build a reputation for first-class planning and design. We want these principles to support tackling the climate emergency and reducing socio-economic inequalities.

'Right homes in the right places with the right jobs and the right infrastructure' is the way ahead. The concept of '15 minute' neighbourhoods is gaining ground. Groups like 'Our Green Warrington' are consistently coming up with creative ideas to make our town better.

Group Leader Cllr Bob Barr added: My interest in Warrington's distinctive urban fabric goes back to the 1970s when I taught courses on housing and urban geography. The New Town was an impressive experiment, and it is a shame that the core of the town was left behind. The Central 6 wards are still struggling to overcome this legacy.

Our vision is for a town where good distinctive design, sustainable, liveable and healthy active communities can thrive. Our standards for design must go beyond the levels required by national legislation. Poor standards offered by 'here-today, gone-tomorrow' developers are unacceptable. If we work together and involve the public, we can present Warrington as the Green Science town of the north.