CHESTER’S Et Alia restaurant appears to have served its final customers after the demolition of the Red House venue was approved to make way for a new apartment development.

The building, which has overlooked the River Dee since the early 1850s, is set to be knocked down in order to build seven new apartments and associated parking.

The apartments, would consist of two four-bedroom properties, four three-bedroom properties and one two-bedroom property, with each to feature an open-plan kitchen/dining/living space with views overlooking the river and access on to a private terrace/garden or balcony.

Recent changes

The latest proposals, approved on Thursday, January 25, feature slight alterations, primarily to the parking section of the plans which were first approved following an appeal in late September last year.

Planning officer, Lyndsay Shinner says: “The approved basement car parking at level -3 and car lift is to be omitted. The parking will instead be provided at the front of the site in mechanical car stackers. Four, triple deck car stackers would be sited in front of the apartment building with two of the three spaces provided in each stacker below ground.

“These car stackers would comprise of two single and one double width unit. A further three, double deck stackers would be positioned within a proposed garage and would extend up into the garage roof space rather than down into the ground. A total of 18 car parking spaces are proposed. A second vehicular access is proposed from Dee Banks. Specification for the proposed car stackers, including details of noise levels generated and an elevation plan showing the car stackers fully extended have been provided.”

Prior to approval by the Planning Inspectorate, the Red House had been the subject of a successful campaign by local residents in June last year to be listed as an Asset of Community Value but following the appeal was adjudged to be "surplus to the needs of the local community" with the report identifying "various other existing community facilities where it is possible for members of the community to gather on both a formal and informal basis".

Whilst it was discussed at the hearing that a £1.7 million initial investment, which was followed by a further £300,000 in 2015, demonstrated that the owner (Mr Stalker) was seriously committed to the business, it was said that the restaurant had become "unviable" and issues around the limited numbers of available parking spaces had also restricted its performance.

Demolition of the Red House building is now expected to take place.

The most recent report concludes: “The proposed alternative parking arrangement, amended design elements and creation of a second access to the previously approved scheme have been fully considered and are acceptable with regards to residential amenity, highway safety, character of the area and would preserve the character and appearance of the Conservation Area.

“All other matters remain as previously assessed and concluded upon. Relevant conditions have been amended to reflect the proposed scheme or discharged based on additional reports and plans submitted to satisfy their requirements.”