An “unsightly” office block in Widnes town centre is set to be demolished as part of plans to redevelop the area.
Halton Council has said it plans to knock down Broseley House, in Widnes Road, calling the building a “potential liability”.
The building has housed a number of businesses in recent years, including a branch of HSBC and a furniture shop but has become increasingly dilapidated.
However, the council has not revealed what it is planning for the site and, once cleared, it is likely to remain empty at least until the new Moor Lane leisure centre is opened so the council can knock down the neighbouring Kingsway Leisure Centre and redevelop the whole area.
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A spokesperson for Halton Council said: “At the moment the demolition allows us to remove an unsightly building which is a potential liability.
“A future development of the site is linked to the development of the leisure centre at Moor Lane, as such we would need to build a replacement leisure centre before clearing the whole of the Kingsway site for development.”
What do you think should replace Broseley House and the Kingsway Leisure Centre? Let us know in the comments section.
The new £20m leisure centre, to be built opposite the Moor Lane bus depot, received planning permission in November and is expected to open in 2022.
Once the new leisure centre is open, the Kingsway site will close and looks set for demolition to make way for an as-yet unannounced redevelopment scheme.
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