Goodbye Warbreck House

The council in our home town of Warrington has also built themselves, brand new, multi million offices in the town centre. And like Blackpool and everywhere else, our council is rising year on year (and again for the next five years), whilst most of the public services decline. The prediction that spending in the town centre will increase, is a load of baloney. Warrington and Blackpool TC's are full of empty business units and too many night time eating places, who are competing against each other.
 
They moved loads from Norcross to Warbreck didn’t they then designated some land for housing on Whiteholme Lane with a planned commercial development on Norcross Lane where M&S Cleveleys was moving to and the first drive thru Taco-Bell was going to open. This is now not happening and even more houses are going to be built.

Since the pandemic large number of Civil Servants are working full time from home - as many on here will confirm - so how is the new CS Quarter going to bring in £8m to the town centre if that’s the “new normal”
 
Bottle said:
They moved loads from Norcross to Warbreck didn’t they then designated some land for housing on Whiteholme Lane with a planned commercial development on Norcross Lane where M&S Cleveleys was moving to and the first drive thru Taco-Bell was going to open. This is now not happening and even more houses are going to be built.

Since the pandemic large number of Civil Servants are working full time from home - as many on here will confirm - so how is the new CS Quarter going to bring in £8m to the town centre if that’s the “new normal”
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It's going to be hybrid working some days in office rest working from home. The big issue will be the extra traffic and parking demand.
 
One E in Evatt said:
It's going to be hybrid working some days in office rest working from home. The big issue will be the extra traffic and parking demand.
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I get that it will be close to the Travel Hub and will encourage use of public transport, but come the summer and the lights how many will want to use it then. Bad enough trying to get a No7 home before and after a match at the moment, can only see, as you say, demand for parking going up, presumably people get free parking at Warbreck (if they have a space).
 
Anyone know how to access the plans? I’m interested to see where this ‘new square’ will be.
 
Mexboroseasider said:
Well something needs to happen in the town centre and this seems to be a plan.

What’s the plan for Warbreck? Housing?
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Without doubt housing. And lots of them.

I suppose the new £50 million premises make sense. Dilapidated Warbreck House would not be green and must cost gazillions each year to heat and power. Probably saving money long term.

Also fits in with the regeneration of the town centre and livens things up in terms of footfall for local businesses. Winner all round.
 
Bottle said:
They moved loads from Norcross to Warbreck didn’t they then designated some land for housing on Whiteholme Lane with a planned commercial development on Norcross Lane where M&S Cleveleys was moving to and the first drive thru Taco-Bell was going to open. This is now not happening and even more houses are going to be built.

Since the pandemic large number of Civil Servants are working full time from home - as many on here will confirm - so how is the new CS Quarter going to bring in £8m to the town centre if that’s the “new normal”
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Full time homeworking stops soon replaced by hybrid. There will be plenty of new business for the town centre.
Economically it’s a good move for Blackpool town centre.
 
Typical. no parking provision planned. Not everyone wants to use public transport, particularly working mums and dads on school runs and nursery etc.
 
Barbarian said:
Typical. no parking provision planned. Not everyone wants to use public transport, particularly working mums and dads on school runs and nursery etc.
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There are lots of things most people don’t want to do. But most of us are grateful to have a pretty stable secure job.
And with hybrid working its 2 days a week of travel. With that new luxury we have been afforded of part time home working it’s 2 days a week to travel and only 2 days to sort out childcare arrangements et al. Whereas before we had to sort out all that stuff for 5 days a week 👍
Some people are never happy, take a step back and look at how blessed we are compared to some maybe 👌
 
Barbarian said:
Typical. no parking provision planned. Not everyone wants to use public transport, particularly working mums and dads on school runs and nursery etc.
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Try doing it in Hammersmith in the 80’s,.
Done all of that working weekends
Lots of people will be doing this in Blackpool this weekend
Fuck off civil no mark
 
seasideone said:
Seems like a good idea.

Move loads into town, so more businesses can benefit and then build houses (I guess) in the residential areas on the sites.

….or am I missing something?
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You're missing something seaside1

It's another master stroke from our clowncil!!
When asked about parking for these offices as a lot of the civil servants are from further afield than Blackpool they were told it would be an ideal opportunity for them to use the rail network and locals could use public transport.
In an ideal world with every civil servant from Blackpool you could either get dropped off or use the bus service.
Yeh the bus service that gets disrupted this time of year every year for the illuminations!
So the council think that women of any age should thank them for having to walk round Blackpool town centre alone in the dark to catch a bus, then have their journey home disrupted because the buses go on a magical mystery tour before they get home.
And the problem with building houses on the old site ?
There are plenty of derelict properties that could be renovated and brought back to life in the town but that wouldn't benefit the builders that obviously make more money on building new properties, many of which are too expensive for youngsters to get on the property ladder.
 
Lala said:
There are lots of things most people don’t want to do. But most of us are grateful to have a pretty stable secure job.
And with hybrid working its 2 days a week of travel. With that new luxury we have been afforded of part time home working it’s 2 days a week to travel and only 2 days to sort out childcare arrangements et al. Whereas before we had to sort out all that stuff for 5 days a week 👍
Some people are never happy, take a step back and look at how blessed we are compared to some maybe 👌
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They should be happy that they haven't had a pay rise in the last 5 years too.
🤦‍♂️
 
Wizzerboy said:
You're missing something seaside1

It's another master stroke from our clowncil!!
When asked about parking for these offices as a lot of the civil servants are from further afield than Blackpool they were told it would be an ideal opportunity for them to use the rail network and locals could use public transport.
In an ideal world with every civil servant from Blackpool you could either get dropped off or use the bus service.
Yeh the bus service that gets disrupted this time of year every year for the illuminations!
So the council think that women of any age should thank them for having to walk round Blackpool town centre alone in the dark to catch a bus, then have their journey home disrupted because the buses go on a magical mystery tour before they get home.
And the problem with building houses on the old site ?
There are plenty of derelict properties that could be renovated and brought back to life in the town but that wouldn't benefit the builders that obviously make more money on building new properties, many of which are too expensive for youngsters to get on the property ladder.
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Fair point regarding the parking.
 
The clowns in charge are useless as per usual because they live in bubbles away from the real world and basically it’s do has they say.
Most of them are a waste of the public purse.
 
tangerine.com said:
The clowns in charge are useless as per usual because they live in bubbles away from the real world and basically it’s do has they say.
Most of them are a waste of the public purse.
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The Civil Servants who run the organisations couldn't agree more some of their salaries are obscene. Screenshot_20211111_073129.jpg
 
Wizzerboy said:
They should be happy that they haven't had a pay rise in the last 5 years too.
🤦‍♂️
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As I said, we don‘t fair badly at all. Nobody holds a gun to your head to stay in a job. If anyone wants to leave to find better nobody is stopping them.
Are we supposed to stay in one location forever because some dont like change ?

And free parking is a privilege we’ve had for years.

So yeah, I’m still grateful 👍
 
Lala, please can you point my wife in the direction of these well paid jobs .
Maybe she should just jack it in and claim benefits, that doesn't get frowned upon as it once did cause after all, no one is holding a gun at her head!!
It's just that she tries to do a decent days work, gets treated badly and the public think that she works in Disney world.
 
From next year the new tram extension up Talbot Rd will be open so some civil servants could use that to get to work as it’s just a short walk from the terminus to their new offices.
 
clappers said:
It’s what’s needed…a proper jobs based town centre generates more jobs around it.
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Absolutely I'm sure all the civil servants will be looking forward to visiting the charity shops, coffee shops and all the great retail shops dotted around the town in their dinner hours.
The main shout is that change is good, unfortunately Blackpool town centre has been changing for decades and imo not for the better🤷‍♂️
 
Lala said:
There are lots of things most people don’t want to do. But most of us are grateful to have a pretty stable secure job.
And with hybrid working its 2 days a week of travel. With that new luxury we have been afforded of part time home working it’s 2 days a week to travel and only 2 days to sort out childcare arrangements et al. Whereas before we had to sort out all that stuff for 5 days a week 👍
Some people are never happy, take a step back and look at how blessed we are compared to some maybe 👌
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Thirty years ago, I was involved in some reorganisation of the work and as a consequence, some people had to move from Norcross to Warbreck and vice versa. You can literally see the other site from your starting point, but the tirade of complaints was unbelievable. Some resigned rather than face that journey. Nothing changes.

Good job we weren't sending them to Peel Park...
 
Except most people won't go out at lunchtime, just take half an hour at their desks then leave earlier.
 
Wizzerboy said:
Lala, please can you point my wife in the direction of these well paid jobs .
Maybe she should just jack it in and claim benefits, that doesn't get frowned upon as it once did cause after all, no one is holding a gun at her head!!
It's just that she tries to do a decent days work, gets treated badly and the public think that she works in Disney world.
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I’m in the same job. I don’t consider myself to be treated badly by my employer, and my terms and conditions are really excellent when I look around at what other people deal with.
The public can think what they like, I know I do a good job, as I’m sure your wife does too.
 
Wizaard said:
Thirty years ago, I was involved in some reorganisation of the work and as a consequence, some people had to move from Norcross to Warbreck and vice versa. You can literally see the other site from your starting point, but the tirade of complaints was unbelievable. Some resigned rather than face that journey. Nothing changes.

Good job we weren't sending them to Peel Park...
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Exactly ! I did the Norcross to Peel Park move and you had to cross the M55 on foot for a while if you didnt drive 😆

I‘m grateful for the employment I have with very decent t&c’s...... I do hope I get a window seat though 🤦‍♀️🤣
 
Lala said:
I’m in the same job. I don’t consider myself to be treated badly by my employer, and my terms and conditions are really excellent when I look around at what other people deal with.
The public can think what they like, I know I do a good job, as I’m sure your wife does too.
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Yes she does.
She worked at lytham LR then got moved further away (towards warton)
Now works from home and hates it as there is no proper interaction.
Firms /companies can say working from home is great and easier for the employees but I've seen my wife turn from a confident outgoing person before the pandemic to a grey shell of a person who's put upon left right and centre by people who like to give orders at the click of a computer key with no repercussions, things that these people would never do face to face.
I've pleaded with her to retire with me at the end of the year but she loves her job just not the people she works for.
From what I've heard from the girls I know at warbreck hill it's very similar.
You're very lucky as you seem to be the exception to the rule👍🏻
 
Wizaard said:
Thirty years ago, I was involved in some reorganisation of the work and as a consequence, some people had to move from Norcross to Warbreck and vice versa. You can literally see the other site from your starting point, but the tirade of complaints was unbelievable. Some resigned rather than face that journey. Nothing changes.

Good job we weren't sending them to Peel Park...
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The Remoaning gits eh Wiz?How ironic !😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜😜
 
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My daughter works for DWP.
Don't yet know how this will affect her. Lives Marton and when at Warbreck parked nearby until she was allocated a parking spot. (I think).
How will this affect people who travelled to work by car?
Will they get assisted fares etc? Will there be special buses?
She also is currently working from home.
 
Davepick said:
My daughter works for DWP.
Don't yet know how this will affect her. Lives Marton and when at Warbreck parked nearby until she was allocated a parking spot. (I think).
How will this affect people who travelled to work by car?
Will they get assisted fares etc? Will there be special buses?
She also is currently working from home.
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When civil servants are asked to relocate they have an individual impact assessment. This includes a comparison of their current travel to their new travel arrangement.

It considers distance/time/disabilities/cost etc.

For many it will be neither here nor there by comparison. But for some they’ll qualify for a payment (usually for a 3 year period) to compensate them for the extra burdens where appropriate.

Change is a constant. There’ll be winners and losers. But ultimately it’s a job in an accessible location. So it’s how you look at it. You can make the best of it and adapt. Or you can moan about how the system is ruining your life and you can become bitter and twisted. I always chose the former.
 
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The transport into town as it is isn't ideal as some of the buses get full now, especially at peak times. Another 3000 people coming in is going to cause chaos. I'm sure the council and Blackpool Transport will look into this when the time is right, hopefully.

Some of the car parks are quite full now with council workers from Bickerstaffe, the town hall/municipal and costal housing. Add to all of that, the Jobcentre staff also use the car parks. Not sure how long they plan to do this hybrid working for? The building won't be open until 2024 anyway.
 
On the transport side the one thing that Blackpool lacks, and that other towns have, is a decent park and ride scheme. Recently went to Salford Quays and was able to get off the M602 at Eccles, park for free at Ladywell and get on the MetroLink for £1.90 return. Possible to get into Manc centre for not much more and avoid pretty expensive parking and a stressful drive.

I know they have a scheme at Squires Gate for tourists, but wouldn’t it be great if similar schemes operated for locals as well. Trouble is every bit of spare ground (e.g. Old Devie Rd Hospital) is being turned into a housing estate.

And while we are at it, bring back the Football Special Buses!
 
It's a good idea to get them all in the centre as the cafes, shops etc will benefit.

Obviously parking needs looking at.

With the the car parks we have rather than get more and more why not build a bigger one over an existing one but go higher.

When space is limited up is the only choice.
 
Lewis_Winthorpe said:
The transport into town as it is isn't ideal as some of the buses get full now, especially at peak times. Another 3000 people coming in is going to cause chaos. I'm sure the council and Blackpool Transport will look into this when the time is right, hopefully.

Some of the car parks are quite full now with council workers from Bickerstaffe, the town hall/municipal and costal housing. Add to all of that, the Jobcentre staff also use the car parks. Not sure how long they plan to do this hybrid working for? The building won't be open until 2024 anyway.
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Interesting Lewis, why are the council workers driving into town and parking yet the government workers are being told to use public transport?
One rule for one🤷‍♂️
 
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