Chester’s Northgate leisure units fully-let

Boutique fitness studio The Fit Collective is the latest name to sign up, meaning all retail space at the development has been snapped up.

It marks success for the first phase of regeneration for Northgate which has seen the completion of a relocated and revamped Chester Market, restaurants, cinema, car park, and offices.

The development is anchored by the Cheshire West and Chester Council-operated 36,000 sq ft indoor market.

Earlier this year Bridge Street Coffee opened its second Chester city centre outlet at the corner unit in Exchange Square, and Bennett Brooks Accountants relocated into the 3,200 sq ft first-floor Coachworks Arcade office suite.

Caribbean restaurant and bar Turtle Bay will open in October this year, the brand’s first in Cheshire, after being held up by a gas explosion and subsequent investigation last year.

A ground-floor unit behind the Picturehouse Cinema foyer to be opened by Popina, which serves wine and cocktails, charcuterie and small plates, is also expected to open before Christmas.

The corner unit next door to Turtle Bay will be opened by BoBo, which specialises in authentic Portuguese and Spanish cuisine, and is expected to open early next year, and will be the group’s third venue alongside their restaurants in West Kirby and Liverpool, which will see all units be fully-let.

Here is a list of retailers operating at the Northgate development:

• Bridge Street Coffee – 2,000 sq ft
• Turtle Bay – 3,000 sq ft
• Popina – 1,800 sq ft
• BoBo – 3,000 sq ft
• North Light – 8,500 sq ft
• Cosy Club – 5,500 sq ft
• Zizzi – 3,000 sq ft
• The Fit Collective – 2,500 sq ft

Just one office suite is unoccupied with 2,500 sq ft of the 10,000 sq ft available left.

Councillor Nathan Pardoe, Cheshire West and Chester Council cabinet member for inclusive economy, regeneration and digital transformation, said: “The council’s ambitions for the first phase of the Northgate development have been realised, with all the remaining units now taken, and only one office suite remaining within the Coachworks Arcade.

“The transformation of the former Town Hall bus interchange site into a thriving leisure destination is now almost complete. The success of this first phase of the Northgate development will complement our plans to work with a developer to bring much-needed city centre homes to the adjacent Northgate phase two site.”

Last month CWAC’s cabinet gave the green light to push on with the Northgate’s second phase, a residential project.

The authority is keen to repurpose brownfield land to increase the number of homes in Chester city centre and tap into the government’s ambition for growth in the provision of housing.

No indication has been given yet for how many homes will be developed but plans are set to take in the old Forum shopping centre and offices, Hamilton House, Merchant House, Goldsmith House, and the former Gateway Theatre.