Development partner for major regeneration schemes in Northwich and Chester
Cheshire West and Chester Council’s Cabinet will be asked at the Cabinet meeting on 9 July to select VINCI UK Developments Ltd as the Council’s preferred developer partner for both the Chester Northgate Future Phases and Northwich Weaver Square schemes. This follows two separate procurement exercises earlier this year. In both cases, delivery will be subcontracted by VINCI UK Developments Ltd to a Joint Venture between VINCI UK Developments Ltd and ION Property Developments Ltd.
Key to the Council’s ongoing programme of regeneration across the Borough is working with the public and private sectors to boost business, create jobs and deliver new housing bringing underused spaces back to life. This helps to make communities exciting places to live, work, learn and visit, whilst enhancing local pride in towns and city centre.
The Council wants to create two new flagship residential communities of more than 500 homes. The schemes will create over 400 new homes in Chester and over 100 in Northwich. This will replace empty shops and buildings built mostly in the 1960s which are no longer fit for purpose. In their place, will be modern, affordable and sustainable town centre living, with public spaces and supporting infrastructure.
The Chester Northgate Future Phases scheme is a key part of the Chester One City Plan, it is close to the city centre’s vibrant retail and leisure areas including Northgate Phase 1 (Chester Market, restaurants, cinema), Storyhouse, Chester Cathedral, Watergate Street and Town Hall Square. The scheme will re-purpose existing buildings where possible and demolish any buildings at the end of their life to open up a forgotten quarter of the city centre making it easy to navigate around the area.
The Northwich Weaver Square scheme is a vital part of the Northwich Development Framework; building a new community will support existing businesses, help to attract new investment and give a welcome boost to the key retail areas of Witton Street, High Street and Barons Quay, as well as boosting the evening economy. As part of the scheme, the current Northwich Market will be relocated to the nearby Barons Quay shopping centre and is currently expected to open in 2026.
VINCI UK Developments Ltd and ION Property Developments Ltd are well established development partners with a good track record working with local authorities.
Across both schemes, each submission was evaluated against key criteria including quality, commercial and social value. This provided a framework to ensure that each bid addressed the Council’s principal objectives for each scheme:
- High quality and contemporary design with experience of working on other urban regeneration schemes elsewhere.
- A track record of producing good quality designs and places that are accessible, whilst considering the heritage of the area.
- Experience of working positively with public and private sectors and listening to residents.
- A commitment to a positive long-term impact on the community, local economy and environment.
- Experience of innovative ideas that help to reduce carbon emissions, whilst making sure the scheme is sustainable.
- Able to deliver value for money for the Council and its residents.
The Weaver Square and Northgate Future Phases schemes are both once in a generation opportunities to create vibrant and sustainable residential-led neighbourhoods in the heart of Northwich and Chester. These two major regeneration schemes will bring increased footfall, vitality and long-term economic opportunity. Most importantly of all, they will bring quality placemaking and create spaces that future generations can be proud of. They demonstrate that Cheshire West & Chester Council is committed to regenerating towns and city centre across the Borough, and will continue our track record of transformation and success. We look forward to a collaborative and productive relationship with VINCI UK Developments Ltd and ION Property Developments Ltd to help us to realise the ambitions of Northwich and Chester. The next stage of the process will be the signing of a Pre-Development Agreement for each scheme. VINCI and ION will work with the Northwich and Chester communities to co-produce masterplans for the two sites, putting the aspirations of local residents at the centre of the new developments. Thank you to all who have been involved in shaping and working on these schemes so far.
For more information on Northgate and Weaver Square, visit the Council website: