Chester History Centre proposals advance
The 24,000 sq ft archive would be built off Lightfoot Street in Hoole and provide a purpose-built facility to house documents charting the development of the city and its surroundings over the past 900 years.
Planning consultant Avison Young is holding an online consultation on the proposals for a history centre in Chester, which would provide a new home for the Cheshire Archives and Local Studies service.
The current facility, located on Duke Street, is no longer fit for purpose.
The new Chester archive, designed by Ellis Willams Architects, would feature a climate-controlled environment to house Cheshire’s archives and a large events space to host exhibitions.
The project is one part of a two-part scheme that will also see a history centre developed in Crewe.
The facilities are being funded by Cheshire East Council and Cheshire West and Chester Council. The authorities have also put forward a bid for National Lottery heritage funding to support the projects.
A planning application for the Chester archive is to be submitted in October, while an outcome on the funding bid is due before the end of the year.
If the bid is successful, work could start on site in autumn 2023 and complete in winter 2024/25.
What a noble edifice!
By Tony Heyes
If you can’t make it beautiful don’t make it
I’m aware of some of the constraints but honestly chaps you can do better than this.Yes I am very experienced 38 years worth and a true cestrian and hoolegan..
By Pretty Flamingo
Great idea.
By Henry Gray
The money could be better spent 🧐 example chester park is a disgrace viewing platform not safe and fenced off with a cctv costing a lot of money this council is destroying Chester
By Kenneth pleavin Pleavin
Does/will the plan include the long promised foot/cycle bridge over the railway or will it be considered in isolation leaving us with the existing dangerous road bridge?
By Anonymous
What a rubbish place to put it. If you’re going to build a building like this(which realistically do we really need?) at least put it somewhere away from the train station where people pass through… a greenery or a park might be better suited on the lot they’re suggesting of building
By Anonymous