Plans granted for £37 million Cultural Centre in Chester creating 1,500 jobs

The first major step in the regeneration of Chester’s city centre has been given the green light by local councillors.

The plans for a £37.05 million Cultural Centre, featuring a new theatre, library, 120 seat cinema, cafe and offices, have been unanimously approved.

The Centre is expected to to open in Autumn, 2016, and is expected to generate over £16 million annually in gross expenditure and create a total of 1,500 jobs throughout the contract period.

The Culture Centre will be based around the city’s former Art Deco Odeon cinema, in Upper Northgate Street.

Members of the Strategic Planning Committee queued up to praise plans for a scheme that has attracted support from the community and will form the main part of the £300 million Northgate redevelopment.

The Grade II listed Odeon, which has been empty for eight years, was chosen from three short-listed sites after massive consultation exercises with the public and cultural organisations throughout West Cheshire.