Plans for the £300m Chester Northgate scheme have been submitted by Rivington Land on behalf of Chester West and Chester Council.
The retail-led mixed-use development comprises around 500,000 sq ft of retail and leisure facilities which, if approved, would be delivered over two phases of construction.
Phase one, which would start in autumn 2017, includes the development of a six-screen cinema together with cafes and restaurants set around a new market square.
A market hall will replace the current Chester Market and a new 167-bedroom, 4-star hotel and conference centre will be built as a replacement for the existing Crowne Plaza hotel.
The existing hotel together with the Forum shopping centre and several other buildings will then be demolished in 2019 so that work can begin on the second phase of construction to create the main retail offer, department store and residential.
In December 2013, the council purchased the Forum shopping centre – formerly owned by ING – and it now owns around 85% of the 14-acre site. In July 2014, the council appointed Rivington Land as development manager to oversee the development.
David Lewis, managing director of Rivington Land, said: “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.”
It is expected that the application will go to the council’s planning committee for a decision in the early autumn. If approved, it is anticipated that the whole development will be completed and opened during 2021.
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