PLANS for a 'vibrant' overhaul of the Anderton Boat Lift’s visitor experience have been submitted ahead of an upcoming £15 million restoration project.
The 150-year-old attraction, which carries boats and their passengers the 50 feet between the Trent and Mersey Canal and the River Weaver, attracts around 100,000 visitors every year.
With a major restoration of the lift set to get underway next year, its operators, the Canal and River Trust (C&RT), have now submitted proposals to Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) for an ambitious revamp of its visitors centre.
According to the planning application submitted on Friday, October 18, this will include ‘a vibrant rethink of its visitor experience’, which involves moving the existing reception, shop, and café, and a new education and events area for groups of up to 100 people to replace its current marquee.
It also plans to extend the café balcony, which commands excellent views of the site, and create access from it down to the patio area below.
C&RT say the current visitor centre is ‘unsustainable’ as the site runs at a loss, but improved facilities should allow it to maximise revenue potential, helping secure the future for historic ‘cathedral of the canals’.
The design and access statement for the project, prepared by Manchester-based Butress Design Studio for C&RT, states: “Our ambition is to improve the visitor attraction to welcome more visitors and to help them engage with the site, explore, learn, and have fun.
“To this end, the Trust is proposing exciting new facilities to replace the existing tired and life-expired marquee.
“A modest extension to the existing building is proposed, forming the backbone of the proposals.
“The extension will increase the current ground floor to match that of the marquee and allow us to have events, meetings, and conferences for up to 100 people, fully served from the existing kitchen and toilets.
“The proposed extension includes an increased balcony for the café, to allow us to increase the covers we can host, and steps connect the café to the outside lower seating area.
“Importantly, when not in use for events, the space transforms into an inspirational exhibition area for visitors to explore, engage, and learn about the lift, the place, and people before exploring the grounds and the lift itself.
“Currently, the site is not sustainable for a charity to run, with significant losses experienced each year, increasing financial pressure on our limited income.
“Improving the visitor offer and reducing the contribution the Trust has to make will support the long-term sustainability of the site and the lift for future generations.”
According to the application, C&RT plans to apply for National Lottery Heritage Funding to help with the revamp, which if approved, could see building work begin in autumn 2025.
The application suggests yet more plans are in the pipeline for the site.
In a letter to CWAC planners, C&RT added: “This application forms part of a wider set of proposals for the Anderton Boat Lift site.
“This includes the construction of a new education cabin, concession cabin, the replacement of the existing toilets with a new permanent toilet cabin, and a scheme of new play equipment and interpretation.
“These proposals will come forwards as part of at least one subsequent planning application.”
The plans can be viewed on the CWAC planning portal under reference number 24/03123/FUL.
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