Cheshire West and Chester council has revealed a new concept for the city’s Northgate shopping scheme, following its decision to terminate its development agreement with ING Real Estate Developers last week.
The council said that it would work up plans for a scheme which, while remaining retail-led, would contain an increased amount of leisure space, including a multiplex cinema and restaurants, a central market and new library, a number of larger shop units including space for a department store and multi-storey and underground car parking.
Original plans for a 440,000 sq ft retail-led scheme were put on hold in 2008 due to the recession.
The council said that over the next few months a cross-party working group would prepare a detailed feasibility, together with the preparation of a detailed scheme and business case to be reported to the executive in the summer.
The council decided to end its partnership with ING, which was agreed in 2000, due to there being “little likelihood of progress” under the arrangement.
ING hit back at the council’s decision, arguing that it would add years of further delay to the project. ING, which owns land within the Northgate site, added that it would be “willing and able” to regenerate the area and would work up its own plans for its landholdings.
Herbert Manley, the council’s executive member for prosperity, said: “The concept provides a vision for progress, which Chester so badly needs. A considerable amount of work remains to develop a scheme which will generate the support and ‘buy in’ to move forward to the planning stage.”
“There is a risk to going it alone, but after detailed consideration and recommendations from our professional national advisors, we consider that risk manageable,” said Manley, a member of the management group.
daniel.cunningham@estatesgazette.com
