Traffic free city centre proposal for Chester

Mar 24 2011 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

Traffic free city centre proposal for Chester

AN ALMOST traffic-free, pedestrian-friendly environment will bring the River Dee back into the heart of the city.

The vision for Chester’s future is to down-grade the inner ring road by the amphitheatre to allow people to wander more freely between the main shopping areas and the Dee.

The proposal was outlined at a gathering of more than 200 stakeholders during an event at Chester Racecourse to develop the ‘One City Plan’.

Ian Jenkinson from regeneration experts GVA said: “Chester already has its ancient Walls – it doesn’t need another wall, in this case a 1960s structure, cutting through its centre.

“The inner ring road is not essential for Chester. It is used by many to get through the city, rather than into it.

“Calming the circulating traffic and removing the roundabouts and subways will hand the city centre back to pedestrians and cyclists.

“It will also bring the river back into the centre where it belongs, reinstating the natural link between the Dee and the heart of the city.”

Also outlined was a vision to create a vibrant ‘artisan quarter’ at Commonhall Street, an area identified as a priority for development.

The proposal would see the area become a hub for small and starter businesses and a cultural living quarter.

The One City Plan, which embraces some of the recommendations of the recent Urban Land Institute (ULI) study, sets out a framework for the development of Chester over the next 15 years.

The Racecourse event brought together key figures from the public and private sector to share views and ideas on the ULI findings and Cheshire West and Chester Council’s vision for change.

Charlie Seward, the council’s director of regeneration and culture, explained that a strategic board, comprising a range of partners, would act as ‘guardians’ of the One City Plan.