CWAC bids farewell to Chester office

The council is finalising its move out of its headquarters overlooking Chester Racecourse with co-working brand Spaces set to take the remaining 37,000 sq ft in the building.

Cheshire West & Chester first signalled its intention to vacate Chester HQ in July 2017, appointing Legat Owen to find occupiers at a quoting rent of £19.50/sq ft. It first moved in after the building was delivered by Liberty Properties in 2008.

Council staff have been gradually moving out in the last few months, relocating to other buildings in the borough including Wyvern House in Winsford; an office at 4 Civic Way in Ellesmere Port; Nicholas House in Chester, and the Tarvin Centre.

The last remaining staff will be based in the building until after local elections on 2 May, following which Regus business Spaces will begin its fit-out of the ground, first, and second floors for a 37,000 sq ft co-working operation.

Other tenants in the building include The Race Company, which took 7,000 sq ft two years ago; law firm Knights, and Passion for Life Healthcare.

The council’s move to Ellesmere Port will act a precursor to the development of a public service hub in the town, part of CWAC’s wider masterplan for the area, adopted earlier this year.

This will be built on Ellesmere Port’s existing bus station, owned by the local authority and next to the Mercer Walk entrance of the Port Arcades shopping centre. Existing offices at Civic Way, which council staff have moved into temporarily, will be demolished, while buses will be relocated to a new interchange along the same road.

This has a capital cost of around £16m and will be supported by £7m in funding from the Cheshire and Warrington LEP.

In a statement to Place North West, the council’s chief operating officer Mark Wynn said: “The majority of our teams have now vacated the building with the exception of our Democratic Services team who will remain in HQ until after the local elections in May.

“Our staff are now working from several corporate buildings across the borough including, Wyvern House, Civic Way, Nicholas House and the Tarvin Centre.

“In June, subject to concluding contracts, IWG are due to begin fitting out 37,000 sq ft for a new Spaces centre, on the ground, first and second floors and will soon be joining existing tenants including The Race Company, Knights Plc and Passion for Life Healthcare.”

Ellesmere Port Civic Way Offices

Some staff have temporarily moved to Civic Way in Ellesmere Port, which is set to be redeveloped

Your Comments

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More fantastic decision making by our visionary Council!!

By Tim

relocate out of a building already paid for at vast expense to save costs.
to then spend around £16m on a new building

By taxpayersdosh

These comments seem myopic. I’m guessing one of the reasons CWAC originally signed up/invested in HQ was to guarantee the developer a tenant, and enable the regeneration of a key site in Chester (the old police headquarters was an abomination). Now its an established location it would make sense to move out and regenerate somewhere else with a guaranteed tenancy.

By Rich X

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