Go-ahead for 133-apartment Chester scheme 

Progressive Living and Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Housing Association, have been given permission for a seven-storey scheme fronting the Shropshire Union Canal. 

The partnership lodged plans for the 133-home City Place with Cheshire West and Chester Council last year. 

The development, located on a brownfield site next to the recently completed Shot Tower scheme, features 57 one-bedroom flats and 76 two-bedroom flats. Some 54 of the apartments will be available for shared ownership. 

AHR Architects is leading on design and Turley is the planning consultant. Zerum is the project manager, Exterior Architecture is the landscape architect, and RoC Consulting is the structural engineer. 

Progressive Living sold the site to Clarion in November 2021 and is developing the project for the housing association. Work on the project is expected to begin this year.

“Our plans to regenerate this prime site in Chester will deliver a mixed-tenure scheme and provide a range of homes that the city desperately needs,” said Richard Cook, group development director of Clarion Housing Group.

“We are passionate about creating sustainable and mixed-tenure communities which boost local economies and deliver vital affordable homes for local people. We look forward to seeing our vision for this site become a reality.”

David Fairclough, director at Progressive Living Developments, said: “It has been a pleasure to work with Latimer on bringing forward this exciting and much-needed development of high-quality homes in the heart of Chester city centre.

“The location and proposed design suggest that the regeneration of this site will be hugely successful, and we look forward to being involved in the delivery of such a scheme.”

Other elements of the City Place masterplan already delivered include the 70,000 sq ft One City Place office building and the 194-bedroom Moxy hotel. 

Earlier this year, Cheshire West and Chester Council and LCR unveiled plans for Chester City Gateway – a vision for 600 homes on brownfield land around the city’s train station.