01_introduction & context This work has been commissioned by and for the residents of the Commonhall Street area in central Chester – an emerging colourful and vibrant community with a strong sense of pride in where they live and with strong views about their neighbourhood and its sense of ‘place’. The residents commissioned Andy Farrall Limited to undertake the work. MONIKA Studios, based in the neighbourhood, have injected their brilliant graphics abilities. It's a ‘thought leadership’ piece with a clear message about creating a more liveable city centre neighbourhood. So, let’s not get too hung-up on the detail – it’s all about the underlying concepts of creating a more liveable neighbourhood. The area contains three active community groups – one for each of the neighbourhood main streets. The White Friars Residents’ Association led the work for the collective. The work involved the active participation of the residents including a residents’ workshop. This area masterplan is community-led and community-driven. It’s their vision of the place in which they want to live - welcoming, vibrant and sustainable.
city centres have changed It is increasingly acknowledged that city centre ‘side streets’ need to be reimagined, particularly in historic cities. The centre of cities like Chester are becoming attractive places to live – not just for smaller households, but also for families. In the last century city centres were depopulated through movement to the suburbs and through ‘slum clearance’ programmes, plus many houses were converted to offices. The former residential streets off the main retail dominated high streets, became little more than service areas to access the rears of high street shops and offices. The need for large vehicle turning spaces, service bays and employee parking meant that side streets became fragmented, forgotten and unattractive. In Chester – the main retail streets were seen as paramount – but the side and rear streets were forgotten and seen as unimportant. There’s a classic quote: ‘Chester’s face is its fortune’ - if this is the case, then its beauty is only skin deep – a Row-street veneer. Things have changed over the last decade and the pandemic has accelerated this: Chester’s side and rear streets are becoming residential again. White Friars is leading the way in this transformation. Gone are the offices – these have been converted back into homes and renovated to a high quality. Families with children are now living in White Friars. The future of city centres is about reimagining them as vibrant and colourful mixed-use neighbourhoods, with people living in them. The Cheshire & Warrington LEP and the Council see Chester city centre as a real priority for city-centre living. Reports such as the recent CBRE’s ‘Chester, Reimagining the High Street’ and Chester Smart Mobility clearly see that residential development will be the key driver for the regeneration of the city centre. image via British Listed Buildings (Nick Roe)
copyright Andy Farrall Limited 2022
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