Renaissance Shows True Council Vision

23 January 2008

Chester City Council leaders have hit back at recent media claims that it lacks vision and that the city is becoming "ghost town."

Although retailers and businesses are facing a challenging time, the council believes that the credit squeeze and pressure on consumers to meet rising domestic bills are issues facing the whole country, yet despite these constraints the council is ploughing ahead with ambitious plans to revitalise the district.

• The HQ / Castle Gateway: A £50 million development at one of the city’s most impressive gateways overlooking the Roodee racecourse, including restaurants, flats, offices and a boutique hotel all due for completion next year.
• The British Waterways led development at Tower Wharf including canal-side homes, cafe-bars and offices to be completed in 2010.
• A £34m shops, apartments, offices and car park development at Delamere Street.
• The £15million transformation of Chester’s magnificent Victorian Railway Station, which will make it worthy of an attractive European city. Work on the station square is complete and work on the concourse is underway.
• The new Riverside Promenade from the Groves around the racecourse to Crane Bank will be complete by Easter and work continues on improvements to Brook Street and City Road.
• The Queen Hotel will complete a new development of luxury rooms by Easter and a Travel Inn is under construction on City Road.
• Oddfellows opens a new club, restaurant and hotel soon and a major new nightclub, Cruise opens this summer.

In 2008 Chester City Council will be:-

• Developing a master–plan to make better use of the Cathedral Quarter. This covers 20% of the city centre and contains some of Chester’s finest buildings.
• Working on a Rows management plan to help businesses improve performance and play a full part in Chester Renaissance
• Working on the Chester Greenways schemes to improve pedestrian and cycle routes following the success of the Connect 2 lottery bid.

Meanwhile, the Northgate scheme, the Super Zoo, city walls investment and improvements to the amphitheatre, racecourse, castle and Grosvenor Park are also major projects being developed.

Council leader, councillor Margaret Parker and deputy leader, councillor Stephen Mosley said: "No one is denying that conditions for business, traders and ordinary residents are getting tougher and that we face some immense challenges.

"However, to say that the council has no vision and that Chester is a "dying town" is simply not true. The facts show that council has a clear vision and the investment already pouring in proves that key players have faith in Chester’s future.

"It's only by working together with a “can do” attitude that we will be able to overcome the challenges we face."

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