Winsford Town Centre

In 2018, the Council made a decision to acquire Winsford Cross Shopping Centre from the owner following years of underinvestment and acquired it for £21 million with another £2 million identified for immediate repairs. Without the Council intervening, the centre was at risk of terminal decline with the owners not having the means to move forward with further investment. This initial phase of investment involved enabling the development of a new Aldi store on land acquired as part of the acquisition, addressing long term maintenance in the built fabric of the town and developing new plans for future growth, all of which positioned the Council to reinvest in the town centre and capitalise on external funding opportunities.

The acquisition of Winsford Cross enabled the Council to make a bold bid for resources from central government as part of the Future High Streets programme and secured £9.98 million of funding. The Council matched this with a further £12 million of its own funding to deliver a first phase of redevelopment with the construction of new stores, further refurbishment of the existing centre, selective demolitions and improvements to the public realm and car parking in the town.

The Council has a progressive vision of driving economic growth through regeneration and green innovation whilst celebrating the traditional character of our towns. At the heart of this Council's regeneration plans is an ambition to have a positive impact on our environment, heritage and culture.

Through our investments, our aim is to unlock economic opportunities, boost business, create jobs and increase skills, whilst delivering new housing, supporting digital connectivity, increasing inclusion, and enhancing pride in our town and city centres.

Working together with the public and private sectors, our projects will grow footfall, stimulate the local market, increase spend and spread vitality across our borough, bringing underused spaces back to life and making our communities exciting places to live, work, learn and visit.

Regeneration in Winsford is more than a new shopping centre; it is a development of mixed leisure, retail and open public spaces that integrates seamlessly with the surrounding parts of the town centre, encouraging investment, new business, and exciting community events and pop-ups.

The project represents investment of £22.18 million on top of the £21 million the Council invested in acquiring the centre in 2018. This investment is partly funded from a £9.98 million grant from the Government's Future High Street Fund allocated for the project. Further funding of £500,000 was allocated to the project in March 2023, ensuring that the project could be delivered despite increasingly challenging market conditions which are affecting projects across the country.

The budget covered everything from demolition, site preparation and construction including new retail units, services, open space, pop up space, car parking and new means of access.

Two units have been built. This amounts to approx. 27,000 sq. ft. of new floorspace plus a further 8,000 sq. ft. garden centre as part of the B&M.

As part of the process of town centre investment we are gradually reducing the overall amount of retail floorspace and introducing new modern retail premises that are adaptable meet the requirements of retailers and other occupiers. A number of the existing vacant premises were deemed no longer fit for purpose given their age and poor condition. Size, layout, and access have all been improved.

The Council undertook the entirety of the build including the new Costa and B&M units. Each unit built is let to a tenant on a long-term lease arrangement.

The future of the vacated B&M building will be considered as part of future phases of investment. Repurposing will be part of these options. No decisions have been made yet in this respect.

Free long-stay parking is available to the rear of the Verdin Exchange off Grange Lane.

Blue Badge holders can park free for three hours in the new 168-space car park off Dene Drive. Please park in a designated bay and display your blue badge. More information can be found on our blue badge scheme page.

Around 5,000 sq. m. of public open spaces have been created for pop-ups, events and visiting attractions. There is also more green space in the town centre than ever before including the planting of 53 new trees, creating a relaxing and pleasant environment to enjoy.

In addition, there are new pathways, providing improved routes for walking, cycling and dedicated cycle storage.

New units are much more energy efficient, meaning that operating costs are reduced for tenants and the overall carbon footprint of the town centre is reduced.

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