Muse Developments is working up plans to submit a reserved matters planning application for 100 canal side apartments at its City Place development
in Chester.
The 100,000 sq ft residential
scheme will be situated on the site of the current Lloyds car parking area on
the south facing bank of the Shropshire Union Canal. The scheme will complement
the wider City Place development, which will ultimately include
state-of-the-art offices, restaurants and leisure facilities.
Phil Mayall, development director at Muse, said: "We have always planned to include a residential
element to City Place so we are very pleased to be in the process of working up
the plans for the council’s consideration. We have already received a number of unsolicited approaches from
private rental sector investors to acquire the residential scheme,
so we are very optimistic about the future of the project.”
The new residential
development is extremely well connected, situated directly opposite the new
Waitrose store and with a number of restaurants and bars in close
proximity. Chester Railway Station is literally on the doorstep
of the scheme and the shops, amenities and attractions of the city centre
are just a short walk away.
Muse made the announcement
about the new scheme after Property Week and CACI
revealed its new study, which ranked Chester one of the top three hottest
residential locations in the UK. The ranking combined the affordability of property with data on the
overall quality of life within that town, factoring in employment levels, the provision
of local amenities, schools and connectivity to the internet.
City
Place is a 3.5 acre
development which forms part of Chester’s new Central Business Quarter. Muse
was granted planning permission for the first phase of the City Place
development in March 2013 and work is due to begin in June 2014. The six
storey, 70,000 sq ft BREEAM ‘Excellent’ office building will unite state-of-the-art
technology and 21st century design and architecture with the city’s
rich heritage, and the provision of new public realm will link the scheme with
Chester Railway Station and the Shropshire Union Canal.
City Place will drive economic growth in Chester and
transform the city’s commercial offering. By 2028, it is planned that City
Place will offer up to 440,000 square feet of state-of-the art office space
housed within seven office blocks, creating around 3,500 jobs.