A MID Cheshire pub guru has a vision to put personality into Northwich's Barons Quay development.

Damon Horrill, who runs Debees and the Red Lion, in Winsford, and the Kings Lock, in Middlewich, hopes his innovative bar and restaurant concept will give the modern regeneration scheme a heart.

"The corporate style of development with an Odeon etc is great on paper but does very little to regenerate," he said.

"It makes every town centre look the same.

"What's needed in Northwich is a cultural heart that can grow a positive culture and create a community venture in Northwich."

Damon is in talks with Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) to investigate if his idea can be included in the council-led scheme.

He hopes to open a bar and restaurant in Barons Quay called The Friendly Society, which would promote art, heritage and conversation.

"It would be a bar/restaurant steeped in Northwich culture with contemporary art work in a gentlemen's club style environment," he said.

"We would use local food and drink from local microbreweries.

"It's for people to sense what Northwich is like and that it's not like everywhere else."

He outlined the concept at the latest Northwich Town Council meeting and explained that the venue would promote local musicians, include art work based on Northwich history and the history of Barons Quay itself, and be full of rooms where people can meet, chat and relax.

People would also be able to join The Friendly Society, which would give them chance to invest in the bar and also accrue savings on their membership card to be spent on food and drink.

Damon said: "This paves the way for a different approach to how pub spaces can be used – they are community assets and where life happens.

"Town centres suffer from operations that are negative and all about cheap drinks and it's not done responsibly.

"This is about creating an environment that's relaxed and Northwich has chance to be at the forefront of this particular model."