Nuneaton town centre shops to be demolished and new park 'walkway' created

[dutchman]

But the long term plans for the Bridge Street area are yet to be finalised



A row of empty shops in Nuneaton town centre are about to be demolished. Many of them at the top end of Bridge Street, which back onto the George Eliot Memorial Gardens, have stood unused for more than a year.

This is because the former occupants were told to move as part of the 'Bridge to Living' project, which takes in part of Bridge Street, Church Street and the memorial gardens.

Under the original plans, new riverside apartments as well as new green spaces and shops were due to be built close to the stretch of the River Anker. But then the original project was 're-phased' in 2023 as the planned new retail space was shelved due to costs.

Then last year, just over £3.5m was taken from the project to help pay for phase two of the Grayson Place development in nearby Abbey Street. This has left the project at risk of not taking place at all due to a lack of funds.

However, a council update has revealed that the demolition of the empty shops in Bridge Street is going to take place. It will include many of the shops but not as far as the Popworld club.

A council report explains that many of the utilities at the shops have been disconnected. This is ahead of the buildings being bulldozed.

It explains there is one unit left that needs to be vacated. "We are working with the tenant to find suitable relocation," the report states.

"Progressing with procurement exercise for demolition and submit application to planning."

Once the buildings have been demolished, a walkway to Riversley Park will be created. But it remains unclear if the wider plans for new apartments will ever go-ahead.

The demolition in Bridge Street is likely to come around the same time when there is planned demolition in the Church Street area. This is for a different project, the £24.49m 'Justice Walk' development.

This is being led by Warwickshire County Council, not the borough council and will see the old Wilkos and sorting office bulldozed. This is to pave the way for new apartments and a new library and office space.

The county council said that the demolition of these buildings is set to take place in early spring. Only Nuneaton's main library will remain.

Despite bids to save it, the library will go but it is not set to be razed to the ground until the new library is built and open.