Council spotlight on town centre’s future
RUNCORN town centre’s future was up for discussion as councillors met behind closed doors to consider the area’s regeneration options.
Halton Borough Council’s executive board had two agenda items directly linked to the Old Town but details were kept from public view because of commercial sensitivities.
One of the topics was marked as ‘Runcorn vision and regeneration’ and the other was ‘Egerton Street development’.
A third subject dealing with ‘starter homes and accelerated construction opportunity’ could also have had a bearing on the town centre regeneration if, in time, the local authority applies for Government housing cash to spend in the Old Town.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Cllr Rob Polhill, Halton Borough Council leader, said the discussions were to examine how to sustain the momentum of development works from the Mersey Gateway project under the ‘ Mersey Gateway Plus’ scheme. Although details were being kept under wraps he said there has been interest from an organisation in taking on the project.
He did not say whether this was the same consortium that trade press reported last year to have been picked to develop a masterplan for the regeneration of west Runcorn.
In June 2016, publications including Place North West, Architects Data File and Building Construction design reported that Halton Council and Liverpool Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) had commissioned IBI Group architects and urban designers, Mott MacDonald engineers and BE Group property consultants. Place North West said a report into the scheme had been funded by the LEP and the European Regional Development Fund.
Mark Graham, IBI Group studio associate, said at the time that the strategic masterplan marked ‘the start of a process of regeneration and expansion of Runcorn and wider Halton area’ looking to make the most of the ‘exceptional setting’ of the waterfront, which he said was ‘one of the North West’s most productive locations’.
In response to questions from the Weekly News, Cllr Polhill said he was aware of concerns raised about bus services being reduced in the town and potentially cutting off neighbourhoods from each other, he said the council would challenge Arriva if needed to ‘make sure it doesn’t get left behind and it’s on the radar’.
Cllr Polhill said: “There’s some commercial sensitivity about it.
“We introduced the Mersey Gateway Plus a few months ago and that’s been carrying on the regeneration of what we have got out of the bridge.
“When the bridge is open we need to continue that.
“That’s the Runcorn Vision and while the bridge is shut we’re going to look at what we can move forward and it’s centred around Runcorn Station and the Old Town itself.
“There’s someone interested and ● that’s where the confidentiality comes in, we just need to speak to members.
“As soon as it’s gone we’ll see what we can put out there. “I think it’s quite exciting.” Cllr Polhill also played down previous reports that Peel Group had objected to the Open Up Runcorn canal project.
He said: “I’ve heard that, I’m quite close to that (Runcorn Locks Restoration Society) group.
“They’ve worked hard and there are a lot of volunteers and it’s grabbed people’s imagination.
“I understand some people in Peel are concerned about leisure craft mixing with commercial shipping on the (Manchester) Ship Canal but it’s done elsewhere, it’s just about mitigating it.”