Ambitious plans to turn a derelict piece of land next to River Weaver into a hotel, restaurants and apartments have been ditched in favour of a new car park.
Investors behind the “Vision for Nantwich” project had targeted the former derelict land off St Anne’s Lane for the initial scheme.
But since then Covid caused delays and rising costs means the project is no longer viable.
The team behind the scheme confirmed today they will instead be building a new wide bay car park, which will be barrier controlled.
Cllr Anna Burton told town councillors last night (January 9): “The St Anne’s Lane project is not going ahead because of the cost of building, it has become unobtainable.
“They do plan to create a car park which I think local residents would be happy about.
“It’s a car crash of a site at the moment and a new car park is a good option.
“They’ve had to start again with all the necessary reports for the council so they can get planning permission.”
The original plan had been for a riverfront hotel, 31 apartments, restaurants and boutique businesses, along with associated parking.
The scheme was to be delivered by Vison for Nantwich Limited – run by brothers Mark, John and Paul Schofield – who first revealed plans for the site in November 2015 and bought the land off CEC in February 2017.
Paul Schofield told Nantwich News today: “Yes the reason for abandoning the original plan was because of cost.
“The council identified a need for more parking in Nantwich hence why we are putting planning in for a wide bay car park which Nantwich doesn’t have.
“It will be barrier controlled with APNR all solar powered. The plans will hopefully be submitted next week.”
What are the options for disabled parking here? The ANOR systems don’t allow for longer periods of parking for disabled users. It takes a lot longer for disabled users to conduct their business in town than it does for those that are able-bodied.
Effectively, ANPR car parks are a penalty on the disabled and become unusable. There’s very little disabled parking available in Nantwich now and most of that is too far from any shops or businesses.
So ‘Nantwich Vision’ is in fact a car park! Rather than a hotel or independent optician’s!
Not sure why people spout the suggestion it’s liable to flooding when river has been at it’s highest for ages recently and the site was fine
Wonder how cheaply the council sold off this plot when it proposed to bring jobs and houses to the town? The current owners must be laughing all the way to the bank.
WOW another car park – great vision CEC and Nantwich TC – NOT
Round and round we go …..
This area was a car park…a free one at that….
Sold for development …..but very close to a river which floods more than ever due to climate change.
Nantwich needs more car parks not more shops and food venue’s
There are plenty empty at the moment and pubs are closing and being redeveloped…
I suppose the porposed car park will be commercial so car park charges will be appled.
At what price???
Why not make a lovely park with flower beds, maybe mini-golf, children’s play area, replacing those lovely weeping willows, seating……
Yet another white elephant by this useless near bankrupt council……any wonder they are?? I wouldn’t let them in charge of a playgroup!!!!
Agree with the overall sentiment in Tea’s post. I would say though that it was a car park only in the sense that you could leave your car there for nothing. If you were willing to risk your suspension in the craters.
A little short sighted by Nantwich TC and CEC for the long term benefit to Nantwich and the local community. The original plan would have been ideal in both housing and the much needed affordable local accommodation. Once it becomes another car park the chances of this reverting to the original plan would be lost forever along with the chance to open up the Welsh Row area of town. Come on Nantwich TC stand up and push for the proposed plan the community agreed on.
It’s a dodgy site in my opinion it looks liable to flooding.
Nantwich town is on the decline , it needs to provide people in. Nantwich and elsewhere with reasons to visit .The original concept was a great idea and I do wonder what CE failed to do to work with Schofield to make it happen. An additional car park will not make any significant contribution to Nantwich but it seems that CE believes in building car parks where they at not needed and add no value for example Crewe. I was hoping that CE and CW will merge and maybe then we will see benefits in cost reduction and economies of scale .
That’s a shame. I guess another car park will be useful but I’d much rather have improved infrastructure.
Nantwich (IMHO) must be one of the most pleasant places to live, but with all the new housing, we’re in danger of outstripping our resources.
How laughable is this? A car park was closed down, and then cleaned up (which was a very good idea given the residual contamination due to the gasworks legacy) and now its to be turned back into a car park.
Do we really have so little vision for brownfield development in the town?
Yet housing developers are happily putting in speculative applications for new housing estates on green field sites all around the area?
Both Nantwich TC and CEC should be putting this site forward for decent affordable housing in the town and make best use of its brownfield status rather than additional development in other areas.