Firm says Chester’s Northgate Development will go ahead

Apr 21 2008 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

THE company behind the stalled £460m Northgate Development regeneration project has broken its silence to reassure everyone in Chester that the troubled scheme will go ahead.

David Alker, director of ING Real Estate Development UK Ltd, has offered reassurances it is still working with the city council to deliver the new vision for Chester including a House of Fraser store.

The credit crunch meant a vital deadline was missed last November when an agreement to go “unconditional” – committing all parties beyond the point of no return – did not get signed.

Failure to go ahead would devastate the city’s future prosperity. And worryingly ING has remained almost silent on the issue until now, sparking fears it was about to pull out.

But in a letter to Tory development executive member Cllr Mike Jones at the Town Hall and passed to city centre businesses, Mr Alker said: “Following our meeting I hope that you now have a better understanding of the work we have been doing to improve the viability of the scheme and I confirm ING RED’s commitment to the project and working with the council to make the scheme happen.

“I also confirm that I met with House of Fraser recently and they remain enthusiastic about Chester and committed to the store.”

Full story in Midweek Chronicle.