The long-running CPS Shopping Centre drama on Common Lane has gained yet another chapter, and frankly, Culcheth could be forgiven for wanting a lie down and a strong brew.
Developers have submitted a prior approval form to Warrington Borough Council proposing to convert parts of the first and second floors of the CPS centre from office use, known as Class E, into 14 residential flats, known as Class C3.
This comes after earlier formal plans were withdrawn in the summer following around 150 complaints. That is not a whisper of local concern, that is Culcheth collectively clearing its throat and saying, very firmly, “hang on a minute.”
The latest move is not a full planning application. It is a scoping report and prior approval route, often used to establish whether a developer has the right to proceed before a bigger formal bid arrives. In planning-speak, it is less “grand unveiling” and more “testing the door handle to see if it opens.”
The report submitted to the council says: “The application for Prior Approval is for the proposed change of use of floorspace at the Site from office (Class E) to provide 14 residential units (Class C3). The proposed units would be provided over part of the first and second floor levels.”
It also claims the Class MA application meets the relevant criteria and that prior approval “should therefore be granted.” Naturally, developers tend not to submit reports saying “our idea is a bit iffy, actually,” so residents will have their own thoughts on that conclusion.
There is, to be fair, a positive argument here. More homes in village centres can bring footfall, support local shops, and make better use of upper-floor space that might otherwise sit underused. Sensible housing above shops is not automatically a villain in the pantomime.
But this is the CPS Shopping Centre, and context matters. Earlier this year, traders said they were devastated after first-floor tenants were given formal notices terminating their licences. Some had been based there for decades, which makes the whole thing feel less like routine property management and more like having the carpet yanked out from under long-standing local businesses.
Shivat Haminim Capital Ltd, which acquired the centre in 2021, cited fire safety concerns as part of the reason for the decision. The eviction letter reportedly referred to “critical works to improve fire safety” needing to be carried out within weeks to deal with “life-threatening hazards.” Fire safety is serious, and nobody sensible in Culcheth would shrug at that.
However, it was later reported that the fire service believed the necessary work could be completed without evictions. That is the detail which sticks in the village’s collective craw. If safety work can be done while keeping businesses in place, people will understandably ask why traders had to be pushed out at all.
So here we are, with 14 flats now proposed for parts of the upper floors, after traders were removed and previous plans ran into a wall of objections. It may be perfectly legal planning manoeuvring, but that does not mean it feels particularly elegant from the pavement outside.
The application can be found on Warrington Borough Council’s planning website under reference 2025/01594/PA3MA.