Replacement park on Northwich market passes major milestone

Planning permission has now been granted for a change of use application to transform the site into a temporary public park.

It means that works can begin on the new public space, which the council hopes will become a bustling ‘community open space offering rest, relaxation and retreat’, which could host ‘informal events’ using ‘a flexible modular space’.

A top-down view of the park

The plans were first revealed in November 2020, with Northwich Witton Cllr Sam Naylor commenting earlier this month: “The idea is that if people want to use it for events, or the businesses surrounding it want it for al-fresco purposes, they can – places like Vinnies, or Abda, or Salty Dog, let them use it to enable their businesses to prosper.

“I have already heard from people who want to do events on it. We are just looking forward to the end of Covid so we can get some really good events on there.”

Northwich Market was destroyed just over a year ago when a fire ripped through the building — and took firefighters 30 hours to tackle.

The site during its demolition. Credit: Gilroy Wilson Shoes

In the planning application outlining the temporary change of use, officials from Cheshire West and Chester council say work is set to commence this month and be completed by April.

It’s thought that the site has been spared flooding in the recent storms which devastated Northwich.

An example of a similar canopy to the one which will be installed

The application adds: “With the future use for the site still to be determined, the proposal is to create a temporary / interim outdoor public space. The proposal has been designed to add visual interest to the site, to create a place to dwell, relax, and interact and a space for future outdoor events.

“The [4.8m high] canopy will be used by Northwich Business Improvement District for community events.”