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Over the last three months, the draft One City Plan - a citywide plan for Chester - has been available for comment as part of an extensive consultation process.
This consultation has now drawn to a close and the feedback and written representations are now being reviewed by Chester Renaissance. These will inform revisions and improvements to the One City Plan document, which will then be presented as the first final One City Plan together with a Delivery Plan for Chester in January.
Chester Renaissance and Cheshire West and Chester Council would like to greatly thank all participants and everybody who has contributed in the consultation process. The level of interest and participation in the sessions held has been really encouraging and there has been a great number of responses received.
The One City Plan is a single action orientated strategy. It will co-ordinate and drive a programme of public and private investment and development activity into Chester city centre over the next 15 years.
The draft document sets the overarching vision and direction of travel for the city, under which all projects should sit. It is driven by prioritisation, implementation and delivery.
This is a hugely exciting opportunity to define the ambition of the City Centre and to draw together initiatives, projects and ideas for the City into its own single ‘One City Plan’.
The One City Plan is currently being revised following the consultation. A copy of the draft document and appendices is still available to download. However, please note that it is being changed.
Chester has a strong foundation and many strengths and opportunities but it cannot afford to stand still. New challenges have emerged, economic conditions have changed, and funding is scarce. Chester is a city at a cross roads.
Many plans and strategies have been produced for parts of Chester over time, but these have generally been carried out in isolation – focusing on separate projects, different areas and developed by various organisations.
Following the end of the consultation period on the draft One City Plan, a review of all of the representations made is underway and revisions to the document will be made over the coming weeks. The first final One City Plan and a Delivery Plan are scheduled to be ready in early 2012.
The One City Plan will then be used by Chester Renaissance, CW&C Council and partners to guide the City’s development. It will be reviewed and amended where necessary throughout the 15 year timescale to reflect changes and influences – to make sure that it remains a ‘living document’ which evolves with the City.
The One City Plan considers and draws on the analysis and extensive consultation undertaken by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) during their visit in November 2010 and subsequent Study.
In their March 2011 assessment of Chester ULI concluded: "Chester (should) develop a loner term vision and clear, comprehensive strategy for the success of the City."
The One City Plan rises to this challenge.
The Brand Vision exercises for Chester undertaken in the summer will also inform the final One City Plan.
The One City Plan will form an endorsed non-statutory framework that sets a vision and the priorities for the future of Chester’s city centre over the next 15 years. The Chester Renaissance Board and Cheshire West and Chester Council Executive will approve it.
The Chester Renaissance Board will become the guardians of the Plan. Continual community and business engagement will be a critical part to achieving the ultimate ownership of the One City Plan for Chester.
Further, the key principles will inform the emerging Cheshire West and Chester Local Development Framework (LDF). This is the statutory planning document, produced by the Council, which will guide all future growth across the borough.
If you would like further information regarding the One City Plan please contact Gemma Easter on telephone: 01244 402048 or email: chesterrenaissance@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk