Excitement is building ahead of the visit to Storyhouse by the Queen and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, on Thursday (June 14) but there will be an impact on the city centre .
The royal pair will be taken on a tour of the building where they will be treated to a couple of performances before Her Majesty unveils a plaque to mark the official opening of the venue.
This will be followed by a brief walk-about as the VIPs make their way to Chester Town Hall where they will enjoy lunch as guests of Cheshire West and Chester Council .
A huge crowd is expected.
The Forum and Chester Market will remain open and accessible via the Northgate entrance and Princess St ramp But the Visitor Information Centre on Northgate Street will be closed all day. The Shareshop, Coach House and Shropshire Arms will be open and accessible via a crossing point.
The Market Car Park will remain open but many car parks will be busy and there may be occasional delays on Princess Street. Park and ride will operate as normal.
Storyhouse and library will be closed to the public from 6pm on Wednesday, June 13, to 6pm on Thursday, June 14. If you need to return an item you can renew online or contact them in advance.
Library books due on June 14 have been extended by one week.
Buses into and out of the city centre remain unaffected. The Market shuttle bus will be moved to the layby on St Martin’s Way at the junction with Watergate Street (by the Guildhall).
A temporary traffic regulation is in place to prohibit all traffic – including, in some cases, pedestrians – from certain streets in Chester city centre on Thursday (June 14).
All vehicles will be banned on the following lengths of road between 9.30am and 5pm: Upper Northgate Street between George Street and The Northgate; Northgate Street, between The Northgate and Eastgate Street; Hunter Street, full length; Princess Street, between Northgate Street and Hunters Walk; Hunters Walk, full length; St Werburgh Street, full length; Eastgate Street, full length; Foregate Street, between Eastgate Street and St John Street; St John Street, full length and the former Lower Bus Exchange, west of Hunters Walk.
The order will also prohibit pedestrians on the following lengths of footway during the same times on that day: Northgate Street (west side) the entire width of the footway between Hunter Street and Princess Street and City Walls at the Northgate, from Northgate steps to Water Tower Street.
Royal visit to Chester
The order will also prohibit waiting and loading/unloading of vehicles on both sides of the following roads from 6am until 5pm on that day: Upper Northgate Street between George Street and The Northgate; Northgate Street between The Northgate and Eastgate Street; Hunter Street, full length; Princess Street, Northgate Street to Hunters Walk; Hunters Walk, full length and St Werburgh Street, full length.
