Youth zone ‘will rise from Mr Smith’s ashes’

THE charity behind a multi-million pound plan to transform Warrington nightclub Mr Smith’s into a youth centre has pledged to press ahead with the scheme, despite the blaze which has destroyed the derelict building.

Demolition work  is now ongoing at the site, after the fire which swept through the building on Monday night.

Meanwhile, several teenagers have been interviewed by police on suspicion of arson.

Onside Youth Zones was in advanced talks with Warrington Borough Council, the owner of the building, the Pervaiz Naveide Family Trust, and Vimto manufacturer Nichols, who were set to buy the building and donate it to the charity.

Chief executive of Onside Kathryn Morley said: “We are not going to let the fire get in the way of us creating a much-needed youth zone for Warrington.

“It so sad because the building meant so much to the people of the town.

“Most of the young people in Warrington have parents who met there, so there is a huge emotional attachment to Mr Smith’s.

“The plan we had would have made it the first time we converted an existing building into a youth zone without building from scratch.”

The plan for the building, which used to attract hundreds of revellers each week and shot to fame in the 1980s as the setting for late-night TV show the Hitman and Her starring Pete Waterman and Michaela Strachan, was due to be signed off soon by Warrington Council.

As well as Nichols, the scheme also had the backing of several wealthy individual philanthropists.

“We are now hoping we can get enough money so we can build from scratch on the site,” said Ms Morley. “We are trying to be positive and what has happened has made us more determined that the youth zone will come to fruition.”

Warrington Council chief executive Steven Broomhead said the ongoing demolition work had caused some traffic disruption in the town.

“As an authority we were committed to working in partnership with Onside, and those efforts may be redoubled now,” he said. “When everything has settled down we will see what we can do.”