Residential Population

2a. Residential accommodation

CWaC - As an urgent action, all vacant properties across the City should be audited and assessed to understand their potential to deliver residential accommodation.

CWaC - Additional feasibility studies are clearly required to assess whether design and regulatory matters fire regulations can be met within listed buildings and how such regulations could be addressed across various units and multiple ownerships, whilst taking account of other residential amenity requirements (bin storage, deliveries, cycle storage, etc).

CWaC - Increasing residential use in the City Centre should be a strategic priority and inform any update of the One City Plan or re-draft of the Council’s Development Plan

G eneral / CWaC - Affordability is clearly an issue and providing high quality affordable units within the city (specifically associated with regeneration projects around the station) should be considered a priority. Regeneration sites around the City Centre fringe could help to deliver a more affordable proposition.

CWaC - Emerging changes to the planning system should be reviewed and assessed to understand how these could be leveraged to encourage residential development within Chester.

G eneral - Attracting younger people into the Chester (including students) will be instrumental in establishing a longterm sustainable residential population. Providing sufficient amenity for such a population is a key driver for such an ambition (please refer to 2b for further details).

2b. Residential amenity

Delivering a wide range of food beverage convenience shopping and artisan produce within the city represents a significant opportunity to cater for existing and attracting a new residential population.

Utilising Northgate and the market to deliver incubation space to provide this offers is the first step in delivering an authentic offer. However, the Council as an asset owner also has a role to play by providing follow-on space for producers to establish a broad range and offering across the city.

Engagement has already been undertaken with destination Chester to understand the program of events that they are seeking to put forward during 2021 as part of the “inside out“ campaign.

Whilst delays to the easing of lockdown measures may initially slowdown this program of events, the ambitions put forward within the destination Chester manifesto should be applauded and assisted wherever possible.

A City Centre Management role should be created as a priority to deliver the change required to meet modern expectations of City Centres and the demands of those wanting to experience City Centre living. The individual will work with the Council to assist coordinating events, utilising public spaces, licensing, and exercising funding opportunities to deliver a coordinated and comprehensive programme of events throughout the year.

It is important that this happens as the country emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic, as this is a key opportunity to change the way that people interact with the city. If this opportunity is delayed, then it will be too easy for residents and the public to fall back into previous habits and we will miss the opportunity to create a truly exciting program of events throughout the city.