Ambitious plans are in to redevelop the Northgate area of Chester city centre, creating approximately 500,000 sq ft of new retail, restaurant and leisure facilities and generating more than 1,000 jobs.
A planning application for the Chester Northgate Scheme (pictured) has been submitted on behalf of Cheshire West and Chester Council. It is envisaged that the project would be delivered over two construction phases.
Phase one which is forecast to start in autumn 2017 would involve the development of two restaurants within the shell of the current library building, a new market hall replacing the current Chester Market, a six-screen cinema, and a 167-bedroom four- star hotel and conference centre as a replacement for the Crowne Plaza Hotel which together with the Forum and several other buildings onsite would be demolished in 2019.
Work would then begin on the second phase of construction to create the main retail offer, department store and residential areas.
The Chester Northgate Scheme has been subject to extensive public consultation since 2011 when the current proposals first emerged. In December 2013, the council purchased the Forum Shopping Centre and it now owns approximately 85 per cent of the site.
More than 1,100 people visited two public exhibitions held in Chester in December and March and the scheme has developed in response to comments made by the public and by statutory consultees.
Cheshire West and Chester Council leader Samantha Dixon said: "This application marks an important milestone in the development of a scheme that will revitalise the Northgate area of the city. Northgate has the potential to mark a step change improvement in what Chester has to offer residents and visitors alike and will help create over 1,000 new job opportunities."
David Lewis, managing director of the council's appointed development manager Rivington Land, added: "We are at a point where we have sufficient confidence in the commercial market prospects of the Northgate Scheme to advise the council to make this application for a major redevelopment of the city centre.
"We have worked hard with the council and consultees to fine tune the detailed design of Chester Northgate to ensure the best possible fit with the city's needs and the demands of retailers and other commercial interests."
There will now be a formal 16-week period of statutory consultation on the proposals ahead of a planning committee decision in early autumn.
Read more at insidermedia.com