Students from Bolton University are putting their efforts into planning to save a decaying listed building in Timperley.
There has been uncertainty over the future of Watling Gate for a number of years and the condition of the 110 -year-old building in Newton Park which was built for Colonel C. E. Newton as a residential house.
The building is listed Grade II by English Heritage and was bequeathed to the council upon the death of Col. Newton in the 1930s. Since that period it was used for the community but became vacant in 2003. It was recently made a North West Association of Civic Trust building at risk, for 2014, a move which is hoped will attract funding for the renovations of the building in the near future.
Now Second year HNC Construction and Surveying students have recently presented their renovation designs for the Watling Gate building to a panel of local building and preservation experts.
University of Bolton Senior Lecturer in Built Environment, Clive Robinson, is the Chairman of the Watling Gate Restoration group and saw a great opportunity for his students.
He said: ‘Watling Gate has proved to be an excellent resource for students to undertake work connected with all their associated modules and has provided an ideal project which is a real life situation. The students came up with some really useful alternative community uses for the building including multi use community centre and a day nursery with café for the public.”
