Cheshire West plans to spend £1.6m demolishing empty buildings at Winsford Cross, opening the north-east corner for homes. Cabinet discusses it on 11 November.
Cheshire West and Chester Council plans to spend £1.6m demolishing empty and outdated buildings at Winsford Cross, clearing the way for new homes in the north-east corner of the town centre.
The money is in the mid-year finance report going to Cabinet on Wednesday 11 November. Full Council must then agree to add it to the capital programme. It would be spent over the next two financial years.
The council announced the next phase on 3 November. It did not put the cost in its release, and neither document names the buildings that would come down.
What the council has said about the buildings
The release says some buildings on the eastern side “have no realistic long-term future as commercial or community assets”. It says early discussions have taken place with existing occupiers about the condition of the properties and where they might need to go.
More talks with affected occupiers, local groups and community organisations are promised as the project goes on.
The council’s town centre page, which is due to be refreshed, separately says it is progressing demolition of the Dingle Centre, next to the library, which it describes as in very poor condition. That site would then join the future phases. The page does not say whether the work is part of the £1.6m.
What could go there
The north-east corner is identified for homes and community uses. The aim is more footfall for the shops that remain. Nothing is fixed yet:
- the council says it will “consider the best routes” to redeveloping the area
- it says it will ask residents and businesses what they want alongside any new homes
- the report says it “is fully anticipated” that developers and housing providers will be interested
- the long-term goal is a “new gateway” to the town, with “outward facing architecture”, replacing service yard areas
- the release says clearing the sites would create “investment-ready opportunities” to attract private and public funding
Cllr Nathan Pardoe, the Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Regeneration and Digital Transformation, said: “Our attention now turns to the next phase of town centre regeneration. The north-east corner presents an opportunity to replace units at the end of their life with a residential development that will create a vibrant town centre neighbourhood, support community uses and bring more people into the town centre.”
The £1.6m would come from the Winsford Cross Development Account, through borrowing. The report says the financing costs are fully covered by ongoing savings.
Winsford Market comes first
The market refurbishment is the last piece of the first phase. The council says it is worth more than £1m and that residents “will soon see” it. Its release says work starts “in the coming months”, following a new mural celebrating the market’s place in the community.
“These are exciting times for Winsford,” Cllr Pardoe said. “Residents and visitors will soon see an investment of over £1,000,000 in the refurbishment of Winsford Market, drawing the first phase of town centre regeneration to a close. This will transform Winsford’s market offer, help traders to thrive and create a new community hub.”
The finance report is more cautious. It says tendering is continuing, that works will be scheduled once a contractor is selected, and that £0.5m of the budget is moving to next year.
Also promised are:
- continued investment in Winsford Cross and the monthly Artisan Market
- a programme of events with Crosshatch Studios, a local art workshop and makerspace, funded by the Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority’s Mayoral Investment Fund
- better public space and landscaping outside the market entrance
- a look at moving services together into Winsford Library
Cllr Pardoe also said: “Public shopping habits have changed, meaning town centres must change with them.” He said that was why the council “purchased and made the biggest investment in the town centre since the 1960s, and why it is continuing with future phases of regeneration in Winsford.”
The release puts the first phase at £22m; the council’s town centre page says £22.5m. It brought new units for Costa Coffee and B&M, a 168-space car park off Dene Drive with 18 EV charging points, new walking and cycling routes with cycle storage, and about 5,000 square metres of public space. The council also lists 53 new trees and a civic square outside Winsford Library, now home to the town’s refurbished war memorials. Its page says the project has created over 70 jobs so far, including construction.
The market has been in the news before: see our story on the 1,316-name petition over its side door.
What it means for you
No demolition date has been published, and no planning application is mentioned in either document. The money still has to clear Cabinet and Full Council.
The council says it is refreshing its Winsford regeneration webpages and that they will go live in the next few weeks. They are meant to explain the plans and how to get involved. Its current page gives an address for questions to the project team: winsfordregen@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.
The Cabinet meeting is at 10am on 11 November, and its papers are online.
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