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.

As part of this initial phase of work, the Council-led redevelopment scheme involves the demolition of some existing buildings at Queens Parade and Fountain Court, and the construction of new and improved spaces for B&M and Costa Coffee, along with a new 168-space car park alongside improvement to walking, cycling access and dedicated cycle storage.

New open public spaces are being created for exciting pop-ups, events and visiting attractions, with more green space in the town centre than ever before, creating a relaxing and pleasant environment to enjoy.

Other benefits include:

• 18 EV spaces
• Developing the cultural and community offer
• War memorials to be refurbished and relocated to new civic square
• 5 km of new active travel multi-user pathways
• 53 new trees planted
• 5,000 sq. m. of new public realm
• 110 Temporary / construction jobs created
• 130 FTE Jobs created or safeguarded

Options and plans for further phases of development will be considered as the project progresses.

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 can be delivered despite increasingly challenging market conditions which are affecting projects across the country.

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

Demolition and construction are now underway, the main works are due to complete by the end of the year. Key milestones ahead are:

• Costa shell unit is due to be completed and handed over to the tenant for its fit-out in Spring 2024
• The open spaces and public square are expected to be completed in Winter 2024
• B&M shell is due to be handed over to the tenant early in 2025 for fit-out

Further phases of development are anticipated. The Council will provide regular updates here as the project progresses.

Two units are being 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 will all be improved.

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

A number of new tenants have been secured to Winsford town centre on the basis of the first phase of investment, including:

• Costa Coffee
• Coffee House
• Caprinos Pizza
• My Dentist

Existing tenants have recommitted to the town centre, such as B&M. We are in discussion with a number of existing tenants about extending their existing lease arrangements.

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.

The public is being advised that there may be disruption to pedestrian access and routes around the town centre while work is taking place. Signage is being installed to advise of alternative routes.

The Dene Drive footpath will be closed to pedestrians from 1 October 2023 for 14 months.

The service area to the rear of Fountain Court at Winsford Shopping Centre is closed to the public from Monday, 19 June. The only access will be for retailers and market traders.

The Dene Drive car park in the middle of the site is closed from 22 May 2023. Residents are advised to please consider taking the bus, walk, cycle, or use one of the many alternative car parks around the town centre while work is going on.

Whilst acknowledging that the works will create some inconvenience, the Council will provide regular updates regarding progress for the duration of the works so that people are aware of what is happening at the various stages of the project.

Access has been retained to the two war memorials in the town. The service of remembrance will still take place in November but on a slightly reduced basis whilst construction is underway.

Information to help you plan your journey by bus:

Free long-stay parking is available to the rear of the Verdin Exchange off Grange Lane. In addition, the Council has secured 100 long-stay spaces in the ASDA multistorey car park for town centre staff, offsetting the 70 surface level spaces closed due to the commencement of redevelopment works. These spaces have been offered to businesses by town centre management based on the number of employees and we hope that businesses will allocate these spaces to the staff who are most in need of them.

There are service areas in and around the town centre shopping centre. Please park in a designated bay and display your blue badge. More information can be found on our blue badge scheme page 

New open public spaces are being created for exciting pop-ups, events and visiting attractions, with more green space in the town centre than ever before, creating a relaxing and pleasant environment to enjoy.

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.

The latest updates: