The Old Bank - Warley and Dickson Road, Blackpool

Decus Prudentiae Merces(Honour is the reward of prudence)

 

Oh no! he's gone all Latin again. Actually its on the crest of the NatWest bank at the corner of Warley road and Dickson road. Got to own up it looks really out of place on the corner. However it is a symbol of a bygone age. Fine piece of stone work, especially the crest. Destined to be flattened, may even have been by the time you read this. The pictures together with some descriptions, followed by excerpts from the planning documents.I knew it as a NatWest Bank, but maybe this building's history starts here.

Close up view of the crest above the main door.
The perspectives have been straightened in Gimp

Looking down Warley road from the front entrance.
The brick building is the Hilton Hotel formerly known as the Pembroke hotel.
I feel that some of this metalwork, concrete may have survived the demolition of the Derby Baths

The Hilton Hotel. It sits where the Derby Baths used to be.

The Hilton is to the right, on top of the the wall sits the "Old Bank"

Looking down the other side of Warley road.
Threre was a bloke in one of the windows watching me intensely.
What he thought I was up to who knows.
The church building is the Kings Christian Centre

View from Warley Road. This is side of the "Old Bank"
The Derby Supper Bar is across the Dickson road.
Members of my family have worked there in the past.

From the lower end of Dickson road. The main entrance is clearly visible.

The same shot but a slightly wider angle. The Hilton is behind.

Close up of the crest above the door.

Looking down Warley road. The church is visible in the background.

The close up of the front of the building. The entrance is set at an angle.

Slightly wider view of the "old Bank"

Looking past the bank towards Gynn Square

The side of the bank

Derby Supper bar on the right, Bank on the left looking towards the Gynn

Looking towards the town Centre.
The Pembroke(Hilton) is on the right.
Blackpool Tower is in the distance. The town centre is about 3/4 mile away.

The Hilton Hotel from the back. It occupies the same site as Derby Baths.
(No real objection to that being flattened!)

The Steel framed building going up.
Possibly see just the back of the Hilton

Same shot!

The antique shop that has faced the Old Bank for well... decades

Looking down Dickson road to the Gynn roundabout

Still looking down from the other side of the road.
The ownership of many of the properties has changed. Not sure where the Derby Supper bar is/was any-more!

Beneath are some excerpts from the planning permission documents:

PROPOSAL:

Erection of single storey retail store (Use Class A1) including vehicular access from Dickson Road and egress onto Warley Road and provision of 12 car parking spaces and servicing area, following demolition of existing building and associated changes in land levels.

LOCATION:

THE OLD BANK, 35 WARLEY ROAD, BLACKPOOL, FY1 2AG The site is that of the 'Old Bank' which has a site area of 920 sqm and is located on the prominent south-west corner of the junction of Warley Road and Dickson Road. It has a frontage of 28 metres to the former and 33 metres to the latter. The land to the north and west of the site slopes away making the application site the highest point in the immediate area. These varying land levels further emphasise the site's prominence within the wider streetscene and make it highly visible from all sides. The existing single storey building sits adjacent the Dickson Road footway but is set back from the Warley Road frontage by approximately six metres. There is currently a single useable access/egress point on Dickson Road and a car park to the rear of the building. The site is within the Defined Inner Area and Resort Neighbourhood and sits adjacent the Dickson Road Local Centre, as designated in the Blackpool Local Plan 2001-16. Although it is not part of the centre itself, the properties immediately to the north and east on Dickson Road do fall within the Local Centre. To the south and west of the site are grounds belonging to the Hilton Hotel. The building has previously been used as an advertising agency, and a bank prior to this (both uses are Use Class A2). In recent years the building has been vacant.   Following the demolition of the existing building (approximate gross floor area of 180 sqm) the proposal involves the erection of a single storey retail store (Use Class A1) which will occupy the north east corner of the site, sitting adjacent the footway on both Dickson Road and Warley Road. The new building has a Dickson Road frontage that will be 25 metres long, a width of 17 metres and will be a similar height to the former bank (5 metres high at the north east corner). The external elevations consist of a mixture of brickwork, cladding and a high proportion of glazing to the east elevation. The gross internal area is approximately 380 sqm which equates to a retail floor area of 243 sqm. Refuse, loading and storage areas are located to the rear of the building. An ATM will be installed in the south elevation of the building. Currently, the opening hours and staff levels are not known.   Blackpool Civic Trust - the existing building is of local and historic architectural significance and also sits well with other properties in the area. For these reasons the existing building should be saved. Built Heritage Manager - the building is of local architectural interest and is in a prominent corner location. Historic buildings are non-renewable assets and should be recycled by finding a new use, whilst demolition and rebuilding is not a sustainable form of development. Furthermore, as the proposed design does not contribute to the architecture in the area it does not justify the demolition of the existing building. Design and appearance - the existing building is on the draft Local List and it is recognised that it has some architectural merit. However, it is important to note that this local designation does not offer the building any form of protection against demolition by a developer. It should also be noted that the building has not been in continuous use since it was vacated by the Bank and that this may reflect its lack of versatility to accommodate other uses. Given it is an isolated building and there are other examples of this type of building in the town its loss is not considered significant having regard to paragraph 135 of the NPPF. For these reasons, a new build development is considered appropriate and unavoidable at this time. Summary - the principle of a retail use at this site is considered appropriate given its relationship to the existing centre (and its previous commercial uses) and it is not felt that the proposal would unduly impact on visitor or residential amenity, or highway and pedestrian safety. Furthermore, the proposal will bring new development to the area, helping to regenerate it by creating jobs as well as bringing a vacant site back into use. So just a matter of time before TESCO moves in!