RACE horses no longer have to walk through the streets of Chester to get to the Roodee after the completion of the £2m riverside stable complex.

The old stables at Linenhall were never ideal, being separated from the racecourse by New Crane Street with the danger of horses slipping on the cobbles or colliding with street furniture.

Now horses access the course from the other side of the railway viaduct through an archway and the old stables are to be sold for housing to help pay for the changes.

The stables represent one element of a £75m redevelopment of the former gas works site in a partnership between Chester Race Company Ltd (CRCL) and the David McLean Group, which will also deliver luxury apartments.

Richard Thomas, racecourse chief executive, said: 'We have wanted to rebuild the stables for a while but it clearly wasn't feasible at Linenhall from a health and safety regulatory perspective.

'It is sad to have ended the historic and unique tradition of horses walking through the streets of Chester but we are extremely proud to be providing the very best facilities for horses, stable staff and veterinary officers.'

The yard provides 138 stables, 20 of which have been built in the actual railway arches. A further five larger boxes have also been built for veterinary treatment. In addition there are nine wash down bays.

The stables also have a new canteen, a toilet and shower block, a drying room and new tack boxes to support the hard work of the stable staff. Mr Thomas continued: 'We want to show our appreciation for the stable staff and in addition to the above we will once again be providing accommodation for them at the Express by Holiday Inn, so that they can enjoy all the luxuries you would expect from our on-site hotel including the bar, lounge and dining areas.

'This year we will be providing VIP access to the after racing party at the racecourse's Roodee Bar & Grill for all of the jockeys so that they can relax and unwind.'

Realising the first phase of the Old Port site development is a landmark achievement. The former gas works, which is bordered by the River Dee, the Roodee and the railway viaduct, had to be decontaminated and protected from flood risk.

Future phases will include, a waterfront residential development of 196 apartments in five blocks ranging from three to five storeys, a restaurant and more than 50,000 sq ft of office space.

A key feature is the building of a riverside footpath and cycle track from the Old Port to the Roodee, forming an important section of the River Dee path that will run from The Groves to Flint.

Andy Farrall, strategic director of development at Chester City Council, said: 'The regeneration of the Old Port has been a top priority and is just one of several exciting schemes underway in the city.

'I am delighted that the partnership between CRCL and David McLean Group has delivered these superb new stables and I look forward to the next phase of development going forward.'