Majority of £60m Chester Northgate scheme is unnecessary, says CPRE Cheshire

That’s according to CPRE Cheshire, a campaign group that aims to “enhance towns and countryside” across the county.

Phase 1 of the overall scheme – for which a planning application has just been lodged - will include a six-screen cinema, indoor market, multi-storey car park, restaurant arcade and public square.

But in a planned submission to the council the CPRE (Campaign to Protect Rural England) has questioned the need for all but the square.

CPRE Cheshire say building this new car park is pointless.

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) has defended its plans, saying investment is vital to ensure the city remains competitive and attractive for businesses, visitors and residents.

It also questioned why CPRE Cheshire had chosen to raise its concerns after the plans had been submitted rather than during the recent consultation period.

Cllr Richard Beacham, cabinet member for housing, regeneration and growth, said: “The council welcomes greater involvement from residents, groups and businesses in the decisions we take.

“In future it would be great if the CPRE could contribute formerly to any consultations around Northgate and Chester’s wider regeneration plans.”

Andrew Needham, of CPRE Cheshire, sent details of the group’s concerns about Northgate to The Standard this week.

Speaking on behalf of the group, he said the new multi-storey car park was a “massive, domineering, monolithic, building” that would simply replace the existing facility “so what’s the point?”

The group would keep the open square but have questioned the need for the market and cinema.

The CPRE continues: “The planned new Market Hall is not essential and does not seem to offer anything better than the existing one which could have further minor improvements and could be retained in the long term.”

It also states the new cinema is a “high risk commercial development which does not fit comfortably above the new market hall, particularly due to its vulnerability to commercial failure and its lack of ability to accommodate other uses”.

The former library, destined to be a restaurant arcade and gateway to the main development from Town Hall Square, “could now be reused for other purposes”, the group says.

“As a commercial prospect, it could be developed privately and separately from Phase 1,” it states, adding that the council does not appear to have addressed its requirement to reduce carbon emissions.

The only thing about the phase 1 plan that the group would be happy to keep is the public square.

“The new market square is the one element which could be retained as it is a logical extension of the existing market and reflects the origins and culture of the city,” it says.

The planned arcade, in the former library, could be developed "privately and separately from phase 1", according to CPRE Cheshire.

In response, a council spokesman stressed the existing car park and market are “not fit for purpose” due to their condition, size and layout.

“The current market car park is the main car park for the city and is not of the required quality for a city that receives 13 million visitors per year,” she added.

CWaC says air quality has been an important consideration and it has undertaken “detailed assessments”.

Defending the inclusion of a new market in the plan, the spokesman added: “The transformed market and square will be the focal point of the new destination with opportunities for people to benefit from a range of leisure activities in a family friendly environment. This will help support a vibrant day and night-time economy.”

She also stressed that sustainability had been “at the heart of the planning and design process” with the scheme set to include cycle parking and electric vehicle charging facilities.

Cllr Beacham added: “As the new cabinet member for this area of work, I want to extend an invitation to the CPRE for a meeting with the Northgate Development Team where they can raise any further questions or concerns directly.

“I would also take this opportunity to remind people that the shop in the Forum Shopping Centre is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, 11am – 3pm, so anyone is welcome to pop along and speak directly with a Council officer about the Northgate scheme.”