A fresh proposal has been put forward to convert part of the former CPS Shopping Centre into 14 residential units. On paper, that sounds like the sort of practical reuse we keep being told villages need, rather than letting another building sit around looking sorry for itself.
From a Culcheth point of view, there is definitely a positive case here. Bringing unused or underused space back into proper use is better than watching it gather dust, weeds and vague promises. More homes can also help keep local shops, services and bus routes alive, which is not exactly a bad thing in a village where every empty unit starts to feel like a personal insult.
That said, let us not pretend 14 residential units simply appear without consequences. Parking, traffic, access, bin storage and the general day-to-day pressure on the area all need proper scrutiny. Culcheth already knows the joy of roads that were clearly designed by someone who assumed everyone travelled by penny-farthing and good manners.
The former CPS Shopping Centre is a familiar local name, so any change there will be noticed. If this plan tidies up the site, delivers decent homes and respects the surrounding area, fair enough. If it turns into a cramped exercise in squeezing maximum units into minimum space, residents will quite rightly raise eyebrows high enough to trouble the roofline.
The key here is balance. Reusing an existing site can be sensible, even welcome, but only if the proposal works for the people who already live nearby as well as those who might move in. Culcheth is not against change, despite what some meeting-room PowerPoint might imply. We are against daft change dressed up as progress.