Weaver Shipyard project back in motion
A reserved matters application has been filed for the 83-home Northwich development, granted outline consent in 2022.
The applicant is H20 Urban – a partnership between developer Bloc and the Canal & River Trust – and a vehicle set up by landowner Weaver Marine. The plan is for a “leisure marina” on an eight-acre site 1.5km from Northwich town centre.
MPSL Planning & Design leads a project team also featuring transport planner Clancy and landscape architect Urban Green.
Although the plans came forward and were approved in principle in 2020, it was January 2022 before legal agreements were concluded and a decision notice issued.
Documents for the RMA were filed in December, with the project team highlighting its desire for them to be validated before the three-year expiry was reached this month.
Submitted now are details of appearance, layout, scale and landscaping for the entire scheme proposing 83 residential dwellings, a new marina facilities building and new moorings in the marina and along the River Weaver.
According to MPSL’s design & access statement, the housing mix will comprise a mix of one-bedroom cottage flats, and two-, three- and four-bedroom homes, with semis, detached homes and mews houses included.
There will be 30% affordable housing provision, amounting to 25 homes.
The project also includes the construction of a marina facilities building. As MPSL outlines: “This new structure will enhance services for the existing marina business and support improved mooring opportunities within the marina and along the River Weaver frontage.”
The site layout features a “primary avenue” running from the site entrance along the riverfront, with a 2m footpath on either side. This could be connected to an existing public right of way north of the site in time, however the link area falls outside the applicant’s boundary. A link can be provided at the southern end of the site.
Documents relating to the project can be viewed on Cheshire West & Chester Council’s planning portal with the reference 24/03833/REM.
I’d love to know how the applicant has managed to get this one to stack financially. The development costs on this must be astronomical.
By Dave
Shame the development layout seems to ignore its unique waterside location.
By GetItBuilt!
Developer must have very deep pocket and purchasers all car owners!
By Mike f.
Having worked on the site in the late 1970’s and 1980’s when it was a working yacht yard and boatyard I know the site really well and I think that the proposed development will be great but with one big reservation and that is access. At that time the road in ‘Saxon’s Lane’ left a lot to be desired and I seem to remember that it was just a single track road which went through a housing estate which caused ‘the yard’ just a few headaches when we were getting 50 ton cranes in to crane yachts out of the water. I am pleased to see there is still some marine use on the site. The days of ‘the yard’ being Isaac Pimblotts Shipyard and the building of small ships for among others the Royal Navy are sadly long since gone but I hope that the developers will dedicate even just a small part of the site to a memory of what the site used to be and who used to work in it including Alec Pimblott who was part of the shipyard family and who latterly worked in the ‘yard’ when I was there when it was a yacht and boatyard.
By Brendan R
The proposed development looks like a really great use of the site and it is great to see that there is still an element of marine use being incorporated into the site via Weaver Marine and the Canal and River Trust. The site was originally home to Pimblott’s Shipyard until the mid 1970’s when it was closed and turned into a boatyard/yachtyard. I worked there from the late 1970’s until the mid 1980’s. I hope that some interpretive signage can be put up on the site showing the areas history.
By Brendan R
I think it’s sad that they build modern housing on here and not just make it into a great marina, at least when it floods again less damage will be done.
I mean any houses built on this site will be uninsurable as it it has flooded and is in a flood area, and building houses will increase it chances of flooding due to taking away natural drainage…. But ecology is out of the window when money is involved.
By Peter wright