The controversial plan to turn parts of the first and second floors of the CPS Shopping Centre on Common Lane, Culcheth, into 14 flats has been refused by Warrington Borough Council.
Developers had asked for approval to convert sections of the centre into residential use, following earlier failed attempts, including one withdrawn in the summer after around 150 letters of objection. That is not a small grumble over a hedge height, that is a village putting its foot down with both shoes on.
The latest application also attracted dozens of objections before being refused, including from Croft Parish Council and Culcheth and Glazebury Parish Council. Many residents argued that Culcheth needs working shops and useful amenities, not another squeeze on roads, parking and local infrastructure.
Charlotte Nichols, MP for Warrington North, welcomed the decision, saying: “Fantastic news and a huge well done to all the residents, our parish and borough councillors campaigning against the proposed residential redevelopment of the CPS Centre following the owners’ shameful decision to turf out longstanding traders and small business owners last year under spurious pretexts.”
She added that she hopes the centre can return to productive use for the village and surrounding communities, and said she will continue to press the case for that. Quite right too, because Culcheth does not need a hollowed-out centre with a few flats above the ghost of what used to be local trade.
The background here still leaves a sour taste. Traders at the CPS Centre were evicted last year after the owners cited fire safety concerns, with an eviction letter reportedly referring to “critical works” needed within weeks to address “life-threatening hazards”. Fire safety is obviously serious and must never be brushed aside. But it was later reported that the fire service believed the work could be completed without evictions, which rather changes the atmosphere from urgent safety measure to something that looks, to many locals, deeply convenient.
Some of those businesses had been there for decades. Losing them was not just a matter of changing shopfronts, it hit the village centre, local livelihoods and the everyday rhythm of Culcheth. A shopping centre without traders is not a shopping centre, it is a very expensive waiting room.
One objector summed up the mood sharply, saying the village does not need more residential dwellings, especially with empty apartments already for sale and nearly 200 new homes being built nearby. They also raised concerns about rush-hour traffic, school-time congestion, large vehicles, dangerous parking and the loss of central amenities.
That criticism will sound familiar to anyone who has tried to move through Culcheth at busy times without developing the patience of a saint and the steering reflexes of a rally driver. Parking is already a daily test of manners, geometry and luck. Adding more homes into the heart of the village without solving the basic practical problems was always going to land badly.
To be fair, the CPS Centre clearly needs a viable future, not just a prolonged planning tug-of-war. Empty units help nobody, and any responsible investment in the building should be welcomed if it supports safety, local business and the wider community. But turning a central shopping site into yet more flats was never going to feel like the answer for many residents.
Warrington Borough Council has not yet shared further details on the reasons for refusal. For now, though, the decision is being celebrated by councillors, Charlotte Nichols and residents who felt the proposal would take Culcheth in the wrong direction.