Plans revealed for Chester’s former Quicks site
Once put forward by Steve Morgan’s Bridgemere for an apartment block, fresh proposals have been filed for the Lower Bridge Street site, including a car park, retail, and a row of townhouses.
A sale process has been ongoing for around 18 months, with Legat Owen instructed. The asset offers 47,971 sq ft over three floors, with rooftop parking.
Now plans have been validated by Cheshire West & Chester Council for a redevelopment in two parts, from locally-based developer and entrepreneur Adam Thwaites. NSC Planning and Garry Miller Heritage Consultancy are advising.
The first application covers the conversion of the former car showroom area fronting Lower Bridge Street, vacated by dealership group Quicks in 2007.
As it stands, the site has capacity for 68 cars, but with conversion to a multi-storey car park this number would increase to 150. The two retail units would offer a combined 6,326 sq ft.
As set out by NSC, “the proposed development seeks to deliver a high-quality and visually enhanced reuse of the existing building, providing additional city-centre parking provision while introducing active retail frontages at street level.
“The scheme represents a sustainable redevelopment of previously developed land, avoiding demolition and enabling the existing structure to be brought back into beneficial use in the short term, in contrast to a new-build multi-storey car park, which would typically require a much longer period to plan and deliver.”
NSC added that the proposal has been designed to respond sensitively to the historic context of the Chester City Walls conservation area.
The residential element of the redevelopment calls for demolition at the rear of the site, and six townhouses to be built fronting Duke Street. Each would have two parking spots and three bedrooms.
As described by NSC, while the main building is of sufficient quality to justify conversion rather than replacement, the rear section of the site “currently comprises a redundant, poor-quality extension and hardstanding area of limited architectural or functional value”
Thus, “its removal presents a valuable opportunity to introduce high-quality, sustainable residential development that respects the established character of Duke Street and contributes to the city centre’s housing mix”.
Previous talk of development by Steve Morgan’s Bridgemere group at the Quicks site has stirred interest, with the site enjoying a prominent city centre location, surrounded by leisure uses and sitting a short distance from Chester’s racecourse.
Bridgemere submitted plans in 2018 for a 48-apartment project, but the application was never determined, and was withdrawn last year.
The twin applications for the new proposals can be seen on CWAC’s planning portal, references 26/01689/FUL and 26/01690/FUL.
This building is an eyesore, which wont change if renovated (lipstick on a pig springs to mind), it needs to go. This is a prime opportunity to undo the damage of the 60s, and replace with something more in keeping with the history and architecture of Lower Bridge Street and wider Chester city centre. Pastiche is exactly what’s needed here, joined up thinking should include the renovation of St Olaves next door which dates from the 11th century.
By GetItBuilt!
Why did CWAC not determine an application that was submitted in 2018; too much chin rubbing about heritage and conservation.Here we are with no substantive regeneration proposed and as the other commetator mentioned an absolute eyesore of a building that will remain with a little glitter sprinkled over it as you can’t polish it.
By Rodney Street
Needs bulldozing
By Anon
The property is clearly structurally sound, therefore reuse rather than rebuild is the better option. Agree its not the prettiest building in Chester, however there are worse examples. A great opportunity to quickly renovate the existing building & provide another parking option as well as resi space
By Anonymous
Ugh. Missed opportunity. Please bulldoze and rebuild properly. I cannot believe that this prime city centre site could not support a sensitive and architecturally appropriate building.
By Anonymous
I’ve always thought this building was ideal for an adaptive re-use.
This sort of mid-century city centre multi-storey car showroom/garage is a fairly rare survivor, and must be built very solidly, and expensively at the time.
It’s something of a brute, but the render shown makes it look more like the back of an 80s shopping centre than is the case.
By Dee Nile
It’s never going to happen
By John
Space for 150 cars? No that’s completely inappropriate for the centre of a historic city.
By WayFay
Clearly the demolition squad here have not noticed that St Olave’s leans into the bulk of the Quicks building. This seems like a pragmatic solution to another thorny problem. I doesn’t appear to close off any options for future renovation and reuse of St Olave’s which is surely a priority for this part of the City
By Anonymous
A mixture of anger and bewilderment, reading this.
The council should have demolished this festering eyesore years ago,but didn’t.
However, they were quick enough to knock down the Ship Victory pub,to build another ghastly bus station (but it seems that it could have been worse – and we’d be stuck with the ‘glass slug’ ,an earlier proposal.
By Philip Cheers
Agree with Anon, needs flattening, sooner the better
By SBL
Opportunists come knocking again.No vision, only make a quick buck then on to the next low key development.As GetitBuilt says any scheme for this site should stipulate the renovation of St Olaves ,and get rid of the scaffolding that’s been there for as long as I can remember.Do this useless council even know it’s there?
By Old Cestrian
More cheap rent-seeking to degrade Chester. No doubt CWAC will approve as it generates them some income.
By John Smith