Cockhedge News

A better shopping experience for Cockhedge

The owners of Cockhedge shopping park want to improve your shopping experience
and have brought proposals out to refresh the site with a number of improvements.

If you want to find out more about the improvements please come along to an
exhibition of our proposals and let us know what you think.

The exhibition will be held in the main walkway of the shopping centre:

On Friday 11th September 2009 between 2.00pm - 7.00pm and
Saturday 12th September 2009 between 10.00am - 3.00pm

Click here to download our leaflet

Members of the project team will be available to answer any questions you
may have.

If you are unable to attend and would like to receive more information about the
scheme please contact Rob Hill by email: rob.hill@ipbcommunications.co.uk

Cockhedge has been an important gateway entrance and link to the rest of Warrington town centre for over 25 years and has built up a following of loyal customers.

Cockhedge is like most buildings, public spaces and shopping destinations which are over a quarter of a century old, insofar as it needs refreshing and the owners of Cockhedge are looking to do just that. The proposed improvements include:

• Shopper friendly car park with better access to all shops
• Improving the main entry and exit to and from the site
• Improving the signage and branding
• Brightening up the shop frontages

Upgrading Cockhedge will help to improve the shopping experience for thousands of customers and will help to secure the long term future of this important shopping centre which is a vital gateway for Warrington town centre.

"This is a fantastic opportunity for Cockhedge. I have spoken to our traders with the majority of them being very positive about the proposals. Our loyal shopping base deserves an improved centre which I believe will ultimately benefit our traders and the rest of Warrington town centre." George Wesson, Centre Manager of Cockhedge

Night and Day

Along with the proposals for a new improved Cockhedge there is already a new and improved website. Please visit the website for latest offers and news. You can also view the development proposals and comment on them via the website. www.cockhedge.co.uk

Improved car parking

The existing layout has parking spaces that are not used and at present the site is prone
to prime time queues which often occur at the entry and exit. The proposed new car park layout is designed by a specialist traffic consultant to allow for easier entry and exit to the site.

Striking new signage

The existing shops are an assortment of various building styles constructed over the years.
The new entrance canopy 'features' will help to unify Cockhedge and are designed with a
new specific area for signage. Furthermore, the proposed new vibrant shop frontages will increase the daylight into the shops.

Enhanced shopping layout

As part of the proposals the area around the Comet store will be rejuvenated. The current
positioning of the Comet shop breaks up the car parking arrangements and prevents clear
visibility to other shops.

The proposed four new retail units will enable a more traditional layout which provides
clearer visibility with all shops facing into one car parking area.

The new shops

The proposals comprise of the four new retail shops (footprint 2,119 sq m) and a potential
for an extension to the existing Argos shop (increase in footprint of 355 sq m). This
results in an overall increase, given the removal of an existing unit, in building floor
area of 1,514 sq m.

To provide a comparison this is the equivalent of two new shops.

An improved shopping experience

We believe our proposals will provide a much improved Cockhedge, which will help secure employment and also benefit our shoppers. As a gateway into the rest of Warrington town centre we also believe our new car park design will allow better access to the Cockhedge shops and also the rest of the town centre.

Looking forward

We have already received planning permission for new signage. However this can only occur once planning has been achieved for the change in car parking, new shop frontages and the additional new shops. We are about to submit a further application for the new shops, improved frontages and car parking to Warrington Borough Council once the community engagement exercise has been completed.

If planning permission is granted we would expect the new scheme to be completed in
approximately 10 months.