It’s easy to get despondent about the chances of the proposed £300m Northgate Development ever happening when you look at the state of the High Street up and down the country.

But Cheshire West and Chester Council has outlined its reasons for backing the city centre project that would include a House of Fraser department store, new shopping streets as well as housing, restaurants and a multi screen cinema.

This week is a crucial stage for the project, which is backed by £57m of council money, as a public inquiry begins tomorrow (Wednesday) at the University of Chester’s Riverside Innovation Centre with the aim of acquiring 70 plots within the regeneration area through a Compulsory Purchase Order.

For the council, Chester is at a crossroads with a ‘do or die’ scenario behind its decision to pursue Northgate.

The Chester Northgate website states: “Chester has been falling down the UK’s retail rankings for some time. What that means is that other towns and cities – notably Liverpool and Manchester – have been upping their game through investment in new shopping facilities and, as a result, Chester’s shoppers are simply being drawn to shop elsewhere to buy the things they want.

“Chester’s decline will undoubtedly continue without any intervention, and the number of shop vacancies will increase. But this trend is reversible through major investment in Northgate – a cross-party ambition of the council for many years. As well as providing a strong new leisure attraction in the city centre, the new shopping in Northgate is set to take Chester back into the UK’s top 50 retail attractions.”

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The growth of online shopping has undoubtedly hit the High Street but the council’s advisors reckon that, as social animals, human beings still enjoy the experience of shopping including meeting up with friends and family and having a meal or a coffee.

The website says: “Despite its convenience, sitting at home shopping online is a lonely activity that’s often tinged by disappointment when a new garment arrives but doesn’t fit.

“In contrast, city centre shopping is a very social habit. We like going out to go shopping and we often use it as an excuse to meet and keep up with family and friends at the same time.

“When clothes shopping, we also like to see and touch fabrics, try clothes on and see how they fit. And then maybe buy something to wear out later that same day or evening.

An impression of what the new Chester market square would look like as part of the Northgate development
An impression of what the new Chester market square would look like as part of the Northgate development

“We also like to combine shopping with a meal out or a coffee break. Take a look at any modern high street and you will see that it has changed dramatically over the last 15 to 20 years. Cafés and restaurants are now to be found on every street.”

The council believes having a physical presence on the High Street actually goes hand in hand with online shopping.

“There is strong evidence that the online stores of well-established retailers actually perform significantly better in locations where they also have a physical store. Possibly that’s because people like seeing the product for real but ordering it online and then using the store’s ‘click & collect’ service’,” says the council.

Although there is evidence of empty shops in Chester as in every other town and city, the advice is that having a ‘critical mass of shopping’ is the key to pulling in more shoppers to increase the size of the overall ‘cake’ from which everyone benefits. Advisors estimate Northgate could bring in more than £60m extra spend each year into the local economy.

Computer-generated images of the proposed Northgate Development.

The council says: “Research shows that Chester needs up to 38,000 sqm of additional shopping space. Northgate will provide an additional 37,000 sqm. It will stem the flow of retail expenditure leakage by increasing the city’s attractiveness and thereby bring in more shoppers.”

In addition, some retailers want modern, large units so they can sell their full product ranges and have low overheads, which can be a problem in an historic city like Chester. Fashion store GAP is often cited as an example of a retailer who left their old Northgate Street store behind because it no longer suited their retail requirements – but would consider returning if an appropriately-sized store in the right location became available.

However, there are serious fears existing Chester-based retailers may want to relocate into Northgate, leaving empty streets in their wake. The council has a response although it won’t satisfy everyone.

Computer-generated images of the proposed Northgate Development.

It says: “A protocol based on an agreed target tenant mix strategy will focus the scheme’s marketing campaign on retailers and other potential occupiers who do not already have a presence in Chester.

“Where retailers seek to relocate into Chester Northgate, any proposed move will need to be fully justified before a lease would be offered. For example, such a move might be justified by a retailer’s need for a considerably bigger store, which in turn would also entail a significant investment in the both the city and the creation of additional jobs.”