Give Warrington town centre a chance!

[asperity]

Okay TF I bow to your superior parking knowledge. As I say I don't drive but I can get a bus to Widnes and get off directly outside the market and Morrisons, stay on for a stop and get off directly opposite the main shopping centre, or the next stop at ASDA. I can get a bus in the opposite direction into the Warrington Interchange and, if I can find a sliding door that actually opens, I'm only a short walk and an escalator ride (if it's working) from Golden Square shopping centre. From there it's only a short hike over a busy road and through the car park to the Cockhedge with its (inferior to Widnes's in my opinion) ASDA. I can also go to Sainsburys if I want to pay their ludicrous prices or Morrisons, but I'd have to get another bus to get to either of them. I would take issue with you saying that the new multistory is near to any shops, it's nearer to Manchester! (slight exaggeration, sorry).

Anyway the lesson is that if you drive you can pick and choose where you want to shop, and Warrington is fine if you want to pay to park and don't mind doing a lot of walking. And if you use the bus Warrington needs to up its game.

[Sparky71]

On that basis, you could say that Manchester and Liverpool are rubbish because it's a long walk from one side of the city centre to the other.

Even Widnes is spread out. A few weeks ago I took my Grandson to Widnes to get a few things and visit the cinema. We parked on the Morrisons car park, got what we wanted, then had to walk in the driving rain across a four lane road to Mc Donalds then through a bleak retail park to the cinema. I suppose we could have driven there navigating the same road with it's manic traffic lights and lane changes, which is similar to your comparison with the buses.

[asperity]

"Had to walk"? Really? As you say you could have driven there a lot more easily, but each to his own I suppose.

I wouldn't go to Manchester or Liverpool for my routine shopping, although I would for a day out and a nosy around. It depends what you want.

[P J]

On 18/04/2018 at 8:02 AM, grey_man said:

God forbid they should create a model based on local businesses and independent shops, bars, cafes and restaurants.  

Surely this is exactly what they are building with the new tetail market?  

[grey_man]

20 minutes ago, P J said:

Surely this is exactly what they are building with the new tetail market?  

It's a market, with stalls. 

[P J]

Full of local shops and businesses run by local traders and will include  cafes, bars etc.  All you dreamed of .  Just look at the food court on the new temp market, some fabulous food offers, a real ale bar and I here a prosecco and wine bar is un the offing. Have you tried it yet?

[grey_man]

Yes. But it's a market. Big difference to the High Street. 

I'm not saying Warrington is different to anywhere else. It's probably better than most from what I can see. Doesn't get away from the fact that there is a very limited vision of what constitutes a development of a town centre. If you look at the Time Square development, it's essentially a retail park in the town centre. Multiplex surrounded by chain restaurants.     

[P J]

But the local traders will be setting up in the brand new market on the high street.  Local shops, cafes, restaurants, all in a purpose built location and as the main entrance is via Bridge Street it could well help to revitalise that area too.  Add to this the success of the Cultural Quarter development and the linking of it to the rest of town,  I like what I am seeing.  Of course there will always be detractors and people who will find fault no matter what the Council tries to achieve but that's a sad fact of life.  They can always choose to live elsewhere.

[grey_man]

24 minutes ago, P J said:

But the local traders will be setting up in the brand new market on the high street.  Local shops, cafes, restaurants, all in a purpose built location and as the main entrance is via Bridge Street it could well help to revitalise that area too.  Add to this the success of the Cultural Quarter development and the linking of it to the rest of town,  I like what I am seeing.  Of course there will always be detractors and people who will find fault no matter what the Council tries to achieve but that's a sad fact of life.  They can always choose to live elsewhere.

Or they could hope for some imagination. They could certainly wonder why the council has chosen to create a vast dead space in the middle of the development each evening by siting its offices in the middle of it all. They might also wonder why the budget for the whole thing has become such a secret. 

Of course there will always be happy clappers no matter what people wish for their town, but if they don't like their fellow townsfolk, they can always choose to live elsewhere.  

[P J]

ah yes, back to the old hobby horse,  imagine what custom hundreds of office workers will bring to the new markets, perhaps its you who lacks the imagination.  I see you live In Newcastle under Lyme, do you go on their local forum and whinge too?

 

[grey_man]

I don't whinge as much as you, if that's the question. Seeing as you've posted ten times more stuff than I have. Seems nobody whinges more than you. You even whinge about whinging. 

[P J]

36 minutes ago, grey_man said:

I don't whinge as much as you, if that's the question. Seeing as you've posted ten times more stuff than I have. Seems nobody whinges more than you. You even whinge about whinging. 

Probably because your entire posting repertoire extends only to slagging off the council and slagging off the council, grow up and stop whinging.  Local shops, local cafes, local restaurants, local bars all run by local traders and entrepreneurs yet still you moan.  This is WHY the market is being built, right on the high street.  Enjoy Newcastle and cut the umbilical the town has enough resident doom and gloom merchants without non residents chipping in.

 

 

[grey_man]

I have business interests and property and family in Warrington. Even if I didn't, I still wouldn't need your permission to have an opinion. And you have ten times more opinions than me anyway, most of them moaning about other people from what I can tell. It really grips your pipe that other people don't do what you tell them to do, doesn't it? Have you spoken to anybody about it?

 

 

[Milky]

On 5/12/2018 at 7:21 PM, T F and the Wire said:

I've never really understood this free parking argument, we have free parking in Warrington. Golden Square free after 4pm on Thursdays, free all day on Sundays and even when it is not free, the parking charges are very low, £1 an hour, £1.50 for 2 hours, £2.20 for 4 hours, and that is for an undercover car park direct to the shops out of the weather. If that is too much, go to the new attractive multi storey, free for 3 hours, it's no further from the shops than most of the surface car parks in Widnes.

 

It is not a lot is it, but it mounts up.

It is a lot when you come in for 15 minutes to buy something or go to the bank for example. It is a lot if you go to the new food shop that is now in the old TJ Hughes building and spend £10, it adds 10% to your shopping and if you call once a week it is £4 over a month and more if you call more then once a week obviously.

It is a lot when you get to park for nothing elsewhere.

[Milky]

The previous market had lots of local traders and it used to be busy too, sadly it was killed off by high rents and no investment. So the powers that be demolished it.

How will the new one be better apart for it being new, what will it be any different in 20 years?

[P J]

4 hours ago, Milky said:

It is not a lot is it, but it mounts up.

It is a lot when you come in for 15 minutes to buy something or go to the bank for example. It is a lot if you go to the new food shop that is now in the old TJ Hughes building and spend £10, it adds 10% to your shopping and if you call once a week it is £4 over a month and more if you call more then once a week obviously.

It is a lot when you get to park for nothing elsewhere.

The new car park is free for the first 3 hours, you simply have to pop the ticket into the machine in the new temporary market.  Plenty of time to nip to the bank or do a bit of food shopping.  

[P J]

6 hours ago, grey_man said:

I have business interests and property and family in Warrington. Even if I didn't, I still wouldn't need your permission to have an opinion. And you have ten times more opinions than me anyway, most of them moaning about other people from what I can tell. It really grips your pipe that other people don't do what you tell them to do, doesn't it? Have you spoken to anybody about it?

 

 

seems to me you can't handle it when your opinions are challenged and get all haughty when they are proved to be inaccurate stabs at the town.  Local shops, local bars, local cafes all in the new high street market that is being built, exactly what you bemoaned the lack of.  Anyway, stay positive

 

[P J]

4 hours ago, Milky said:

The previous market had lots of local traders and it used to be busy too, sadly it was killed off by high rents and no investment. So the powers that be demolished it.

How will the new one be better apart for it being new, what will it be any different in 20 years?

  No investment? what would you call the construction of a completely new, custom built state of the art market right in the centre of town?  I'd call that investment.  The new temporary market has around 50 local independent traders and is bustling with customers whenever I go.  The new food court is packed some days making it difficult to find a table .  The management are forever putting on events and fun days to draw in customers.   I love the new market and can't wait for the permanent one to be complete. Its easy to moan online but its also easy to support the towns traders.

 

[grey_man]

3 hours ago, P J said:

seems to me you can't handle it when your opinions are challenged and get all haughty when they are proved to be inaccurate stabs at the town.  Local shops, local bars, local cafes all in the new high street market that is being built, exactly what you bemoaned the lack of.  Anyway, stay positive

 

It's not inaccurate. The new development is desperately unimaginative, is focused too much on national chains, will create a large dead space in the evenings because of the inclusion of the council's offices and is a missed opportunity to create a new theatre. Nice try with the attempt to redefine an indoor market as a high street though. Very good.  

[P J]

On 18/04/2018 at 8:02 AM, grey_man said:

 God forbid they should create a model based on local businesses and independent shops, bars, cafes and restaurants.  

Oh dear

[P J]

Just putting it out there .

 

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/9025373/Theatre-losing-its-appeal.html

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/jul/22/tenpin-bowling-alleys-retro-vibes-1950s-america

 

Cinema attendance is on the up too.  Just saying.

 

[Milky]

16 hours ago, P J said:

  No investment? what would you call the construction of a completely new, custom built state of the art market right in the centre of town?  I'd call that investment.  The new temporary market has around 50 local independent traders and is bustling with customers whenever I go.  The new food court is packed some days making it difficult to find a table .  The management are forever putting on events and fun days to draw in customers.   I love the new market and can't wait for the permanent one to be complete. Its easy to moan online but its also easy to support the towns traders.

 

I would call it investment in a new market, the old one had no special events. no parking concessions. Has it ever been refurbished in the time of operation. When did it open?

The new market is probably so crowded because it is so small :}

[P J]

do you wear a blind fold as you go around or did you not use the old market much?  There were many special events at the old market most of which were covered by the Warrington Worldwide.  If you ever went down underneath the old place it was a stinking mess.  So you want the town to be preserved in aspic rather than develop and move on because it appeals to your sense of nostalgia?  The new temporary market is just that, temporary  and thriving.   The plans and ideas for the new one are really quite exciting.  Do yourself a favour, next time you can park in the shiny new carpark for free and pop into the temp market for a look around,  maybe you could even buy something and help support a local trader, its far better than whinging once somethings gone, although you do seem to like doing that

[grey_man]

17 hours ago, P J said:

Oh dear

It's only 'oh dear' if you redefine market stalls as shops and restaurants. Which you've done and for which I've congratulated you for at least making the effort. 

In other news:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2018/jan/19/uks-live-entertainment-industry-hits-new-highs

[Confused52]

Just to be clear the charges for the Mersey Street Car Park have been published and the free for three hours is pretty clearly a teaser to get people to go to the Market rather than a permanent feature. The current popularity of the Market cannot be judged while that offer is in place. Someone, I think PJ, said cinema attendance was rising. Is it, I wonder, rising enough to justify two multi-screens in the town, or are you expecting Westbrook's Odeon to close?