A ROW of shops and a former air raid shelter can be flattened to make way for improvements to the grounds of The Brindley, it has been confirmed.

Plans were previously submitted to bulldoze four ground floor commercial units and upstairs accommodation at numbers one to four, High Street in Runcorn.

The proposals also include demolishing a derelict neighbouring building – a former air raid shelter – to the rear or St Paul's Mews in the Old Town.

The demolition plans are part of a wider scheme to redevelop Brindley Green and The Brindley theatre itself.

The £5.6million work planned for the theatre includes a new extension with a large café-restaurant, with the existing glazed entrance being demolished as part of the remodelling work.

Runcorn Library will also be relocated and integrated into the new Brindley building itself, with just under £1million earmarked to transform Brindley Green into a new civic space for hosting pop-up events.

The council's ruling executive board approved the purchase of St Paul's Mews in March 2022, with the money coming from its capital budget – money earmarked for infrastructure projects.

The Second World War air raid shelter targeted for demolition (Image: PR)

Following news of the plans, a campaign and petition were launched to save the air raid shelter by registered Runcorn charity War Tunnels of Runcorn.

The organisation was formed to preserve the wartime history of Runcorn and Widnes, and to unearth long-since buried tunnels underneath Runcorn Hill Nature Reserve and turn them into a tourist attraction.

Charity director Joseph Turner said: “Runcorn, Widnes and the surrounding areas played a pivotal role during the wars, and have lots of hidden history that many people simply don't know about.

“Over the years, developers have been all too quick to bulldoze our heritage to make way for their new developments.

“It is important that we make a stand against further erasure of our local heritage in order that we might preserve such important reminders of our past and preserve our culture for generations to come."

But the council has now agreed that the demolition can go ahead.

In reaching a decision, the council said: “I can confirm that the council has no objections to the proposal and prior approval is not required.

“Demolition works should be carried out in accordance with the details submitted with the application.”