Chester One City Plan – Back to the Future event to be held at Picturehouse Cinema
Anyone with an interest in the evolution and future of Chester is invited to attend the Back to the Future event on Tuesday 20 October at 4 - 5pm at the Chester Picturehouse.
The free event will look back at the achievements of the One City Plan since it was first published in 2012, and to look forward to the next chapter in Chester’s history with the launch of the second stage of engagement into the Northgate Phase 2 regeneration scheme being delivered by ION Developments.
Featuring the premier of specially commissioned films about the One City Plan and the masterplan for Northgate Phase 2, the event will also include an opportunity to question a panel including representatives from the Council, ION Developments, city centre businesses, young people and members of the One City Plan working groups.
Following the event, there will the opportunity to view an exhibition on the masterplan for Northgate 2 and see how public feedback from the first stage of engagement in May has shaped the plans. This will take place in the former Barclays Bank building next to Chester Cathedral, 30 St. Werburgh Street, from 5pm until 7pm on Tuesday 20 October; and also from 12pm until 5pm on Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 October.
The next phase of the Northgate development aims to deliver a new residential community of more than 400 sustainable homes, including affordable housing, to open up an unloved and forgotten quarter and help repopulate the heart of the historic city.
The masterplan will look to the future, while restoring and honouring the city’s historical street patterns to create an inclusive community inspired by Chester’s heritage. The proposed scheme will allow the Town Hall building to be unwrapped and appreciated again, no longer attached to and overshadowed by the former Forum Shopping Centre and Council offices.
The masterplan also includes initial proposals for a new cultural building opening onto Town Hall Square that could enhance current provision in the city and support uses such as gallery and performance spaces, community spaces and exhibitions celebrating Chester’s unique history.
Councillor Richard Beacham, Leader’s Champion for the One City Plan said:
Cestrians need to know that there is a plan for the place we love, we need to feel involved and need to know our priorities are part of a shared future vision for this city. The One City Plan has delivered so much for Chester, and this event is an opportunity to look backwards at its achievements and forwards to what happens next. Please come along to this event and watch a new film we have produced, which shows how the city has evolved since 2012.
Steve Parry, Managing Director ION Developments said:
Thank you to everyone that fed back during our first engagement on our plans for Northgate Phase two in May; the response was overwhelmingly positive with 86 per cent supporting our plans for new homes in the city centre. We also received a wealth of constructive feedback, which has helped inform our revisions to the masterplan. We’d be delighted if you could attend the event and exhibition, where you’ll be able to see our plans to transform this long-overlooked part of the city.
Places are limited, early booking is advised