Joni Mitchell's words save historic water tower

From the Warrington Guardian 16.5.11:

Warrington Borough Council turns down plans to demolish historic Garnett's Water Tower

By Vicki Stockman

A TOWN centre landmark has been saved after councillors threw out plans to demolish the water tower attached to Garnett’s Cabinet Works (see BWTAS 'war over Warrington').

Developers PTS Property had wanted to knock down the Cairo Street based tower, which is a prominent part of the borough’s skyline, due to safety issues after building had decayed.

But with no details about what would go on the locally listed Bridge Street Conservation Area site, except details in the planning application that a car park could go on the land, councillors refused permission to demolish the entire site.

Cllr Geoff Settle (LAB - Poulton North) said: “I don’t want to be looking back in 12 months time only to be quoting the words of Joni Mitchell saying: "don’t it always seem to be you don’t know what you’ve got till its gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot’.”

The committee voted unanimously to refuse the applications.

Mike Batley, speaking on behalf of the developer, told councillors approving the scheme would help reinvigorate the area.

He said: “It gives a great chance to put something back in a conservation area.”

And he added details that a car park could go on the site, mentioned in the planning application, was just an example of what could go on the site and not planned.