Ministerial approval for CPO and road closures
Despite growing local opposition to Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Chester Northgate scheme, the Secretary of State has granted the CPO to complete site acquisition and the planned relocation of the city’s market. The council will now make a decision in October on whether to take the scheme forward.
Prelettings have already been agreed with Picturehouse, Tapas Revolution, Zizzi’s and Cosy Club, but the scheme has lost its anchor tenant, House of Fraser.
Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Infrastructure, Councillor Brian Clarke, said: “Our aim is to deliver a mixed-use scheme that’s appropriate for the next generation rather than having to build something that’s a legacy of the last 10 years’ thinking. The positive decision shows a clear endorsement of the scheme by the planning inspector and the Secretaries of State who confirmed the order and applications.
“Having secured these orders we are now in a much stronger position to approach investors and potential development partners.”