CWAC picks Nexus for Winsford town plan

Cheshire West & Chester Council has commissioned Nexus Planning to draw up a development framework for Winsford town centre.

Nexus will identify development opportunities that could create greater cohesion throughout the town. The framework will be split into four major zones: town centre, town park and Old High Street; New Road industrial area and Verdin buildings and playing fields.

Damien Cutting, senior planner at Nexus Planning, said: "Winsford has significant potential to make a greater contribution to the economic and social well-being of mid Cheshire. This is an exciting opportunity to rejuvenate the area and set out clear priorities for how best to improve the town over the next few years."

Nexus will examine ways of increasing the leisure offer and also identify how to improve the existing townscape and greenspaces. The strategy will seek to unlock the unrealised potential of existing sites, drawing out the best of what Winsford already has to attract investment. The development framework will be used in conjunction with the Winsford Neighbourhood Plan, adopted in November 2014 following a public referendum, and will act as a toolkit for the council and local residents to support the revitalisation of the town.

Nexus has worked on similar plans for Southport, Crosby, Northwich and Macclesfield.

Meanwhile, Mott Macdonald has been appointed to produce a transport strategy to assess and respond to a number of emerging issues and priorities over the next 15 years, including the feasibility and options for a bypass to improve links to the M6 and Crewe.

Lynda Jones, Cheshire West & Chester Council executive member for growth and innovation, said: "The development framework and the transport strategy will be ambitious and innovative blueprints that will complement one another to guide the future economic prosperity of Winsford."

The plans are due to be published in the summer.