Plans for Chester's Northgate Development to be lodged in May

Detailed plans for the £60m phase one of the Northgate Development city centre regeneration scheme will be lodged as early as May.

Cheshire West and Chester Council recently switched to Manchester-based AHR as the delivery architect for this initial phase which will be funded through to completion by the local authority.

AHR are currently working up detailed drawings for public consultation from March 20 to April 8 when the public and all interested parties will be asked to formally record their views before the planning application is submitted at the end of May.

The initial phase will include a market hall within a public square, six-screen cinema, restaurants within the old library building plus a new city centre car park, which is a brand new element.

Phase two, involving the major retail element, is now on the back burner due to market conditions.

Emerging designs will be put on display within an information shop at The Forum shopping centre from Wednesday of this week (February 20).

The shop will open Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings 9am to noon and every Saturday morning from the week commencing February 25.

Feedback can also be given via the Northgate website where latest images will also be posted: www.chesternorthgate.com.

In addition a number of informal sessions are being held with interested groups of people such as market traders, representatives from the creative and arts sectors, the Older People’s Network and the business community.

A scheme establishing the principles of phase one was approved in 2016.

Minor amendments to the approved scheme will be submitted and detailed design for the new multi-storey carpark next to St Martin’s Way will be lodged via a full planning application.

Building on the success of Storyhouse, Chester Northgate will bolster the city’s leisure and culture offer, as well as providing more jobs in the heart of Chester. The scheduled start on site for enabling works will be late autumn, with a full start on site in early 2020.

Councillor Brian Clarke , cabinet member for economic development and infrastructure, said: “The Northgate Development has been through a number of variations over the years but now the council is leading we are really clear about what we want to deliver for the city in this first phase.

"It’s important that we give people an opportunity to share their thoughts with us, particularly on the look and feel of the development. We have the opportunity to create a fantastic new 21st century market for the city, building on the success of our existing market.

“We have kitted out a shop in The Forum with the background to the Northgate development along with emerging images and want to encourage people to drop-in and share their thoughts with us in the coming weeks and months.”