LANCASTER'S famous Waring and Gillow building is set to enter the new millennium as a retail and leisure complex. This week, property developer Trevor Bargh unveiled plans to convert the historic furniture showroom in North Road into shops, a restaurant and nightclub. In an interview with the Citizen, Mr Bargh said the building's listed war memorial and staircase would be restored and protected.

"The original features of the building will be retained. I'm as sensitive as the next man when it comes to Waring and Gillow. I would not like to see anything changed, its historical legacy will be protected."

Mr Bargh refuted claims that there were too many pubs and shops in the city to make a new development financially viable.

He explained: "Since we bought the building in February, we've been looking at many different uses for it. They had to fall in line with market demands and what the building could be physically used for. We looked at plans for a department store, offices and residences. In the end we chose a mixed development. We would not have spent time and money on these plans if we didn't think there was a market for them."

If planning permission is granted, work is expected to begin in December and January. Meanwhile negotiations with nightclub and restaurant operators are under way.

Mr Bargh was keeping tight-lipped about the cost of the development but admitted that the building, which has stood empty for about eight months, needed a lot of attention. Additional entrances will be installed at the rear along with fire escapes.

Mr Bargh, who transformed Lancaster's former tram shed into an office development called Victoria Court, said the plans were very exciting. "Lancaster is on the up and there are more people from outside coming to the city than ever before."

His plans have already won the approval of local historian Steve Saartin, based at the Judges Lodgings. He told the Citizen: "Anything that would give a practical use to this listed building, which is an important part of Lancaster's history, has to be a good thing so the building will survive."

Old building to dance to new tune if plans go ahead

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