PLANS have been lodged to demolish the burnt-out shell of Chester Enterprise Centre.

Cheshire West and Chester Council has applied to pull down its centre and associated buildings in Hoole following a fierce blaze just over a year ago.

The centre housed 50 small businesses which benefited from low rent and rates. Most survived, with many moving to Redhill House in Saltney.

The council has ruled out rebuilding an enterprise centre on the site but claims no decision has been taken about its future.

A council spokesman argued there were opportunities for new businesses to let units from the commercial sector and at the University of Chester's Riverside Innovation Centre.

Meanwhile, the former enterprise centre site has been labelled as ‘outer city centre parking’ in the draft One City Plan for Chester.

And Network Rail told the Chronicle that within days of the accidental fire officers from the council and Chester Renaissance were informally suggesting the site as an alternative location for its proposed multi-storey car park but this is flatly denied.

The multi-storey car park plan was unanimously rejected by the council's planning committee leading Hoole Cllr Bob Thompson (Lib Dem) to call for the site to be re-examined for use as a station car park.

Some former enterprise centre tenants are still seeking answers from the council about issues such as why there was no sprinkler system or automatic fire alarm linked to the fire service.