Careful thought must be given to town's redevelopment (From Northwich Guardian)

Planners should give careful thought to redevelopment of Northwich

5:02pm Tuesday 17th January 2012 in Your Letters

MR Shingler’s letter of December 7 asked for a properly thought-out plan for the regeneration of Northwich’s centre to meet the needs of residents.

I would have added a wish for development of other areas as well as the town centre. For some time now, much development has taken place with, it seems, little regard of long-time residents.

Northwich, via CWAC, must be a property developer’s dream. In the centre and around the town have appeared developments incompatible with old-style buildings. As a quaint, small town – and maybe because of its free parking – it is attractive to visitors.

So what has been built over the past few years? The high-rise apartments at Castle Street.

I believe, had it not been for public protests, more would have been built.

VRBC at the time said a park had been laid out for residents. My belief is that the space was left in case the Town Bridge had to be lifted out of position again.

Other large development include the old Drill Field site, and Hollands Road, opposite the Salt Museum, which contains what I believe to be the ugliest building in the town – Ernest Court. All these developments offer river views, which have then been denied to other townsfolk.

The Kingsmead development was believed to have been completed, but somehow space has been found for two more apartment blocks towards the end of Sandbach Drive which are near to the River Weaver overlooking the marina/former Pimlotts site. Not a pretty design! They all seem like pay-per-view situations.

Permission was given to Bridgewater Estates to develop the old ICI Wallerscote site. One of the first structures was an immense apartment block at the junction of Old Winnington Lane and The Avenue. which overshadows one of the oldest buildings in Northwich. It has an immense solid gable end. Maybe it will be suitable in time for advertising purposes. It would be appreciated by certain persons in Belfast or Londonderry.

Before more development takes place in the town, another river crossing is required with associated road works.

More to come? A British Waterways consortium wishes to develop the old slipway area near to the Regal Cinema. What is included? Yes, another block. This time four storeys high, complete with flat roof, a totally discredited and ugly style which could dominate Hayhurst Bridge. If permission is granted, maybe BW will chip-in towards the cost of the bridge. After all they obtained the sites through Government nationalisation in 1948.

It is too late to do anything about these developments but we can remember previous developments of the past 50 years in the centre which, thank goodness, have now reached the end of their useful purpose.

So what else is coming? Three residential developments in Hartford (one with a river view) and two or more developments in Wincham, one residential, the other industrial. Fortunately residents are prepared to oppose them

DENIS CAIN Highbank Road, Greenbank