TOWN leaders gathered in Northwich to celebrate the start of construction at Barons Quay.

Major piling will soon begin at the development after the first weeks of work saw extensive site clearance and the diversion of major services and drainage around Leicester Street and Weaver Way.

Councillors from Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC), the developer of the £80 million scheme, were joined by Weaver Vale MP Graham Evans and representatives from contractor Balfour Beatty to see the changes since work started in January.

Cllr Lynda Jones, CWAC's executive member for growth and innovation, said: "For decades Northwich's prosperity has been stifled by its subsidence issues which prevented growth and any significant development.

"The success of the mines stabilisation project has opened the door to a new Northwich and we are seeing that transformation happening – not just here at Barons Quay but across the town, as we have promised." S

he added: "We stand at the brink of an exciting new dawn for Northwich – truly a town with a very bright future."

CWAC already owned 94 per cent of the land for the scheme, which will create 1,200 jobs, and has this week been granted a compulsory purchase order (CPO) for the remaining land.

Barons Quay will include a multi-screen Odeon cinema, Asda superstore, petrol station, seven restaurants, a hotel, cafes, more than 30 retail units and hundreds of free parking spaces.

Cllr Sam Naylor, CWAC councillor for Winnington and Castle, said: "The investment in our historic town centre has been a long time coming and although many residents consider that their views have been ignored the regeneration programme is welcomed.

"My own and my fellow councillors' role will be ensuring that local people are given the opportunity to get jobs 'on site', that parking issues are addressed and that safety concerns regarding Weaver Way are acted upon.

"These are exciting times and overall the regeneration scheme should be viewed positively."

Mike Burrow, Balfour Beatty senior project manager, said: "This celebration is a key milestone in the construction programme and Balfour Beatty looks forward to delivering a building that will exceed our customer's expectations."

CWAC is currently developing ideas for the future of Weaver Square Shopping Centre and said it is committed to consulting residents on the continuing regeneration of the town.