Contents Chester Waterways Strategy 3 1 Why a Waterways 4 3 Contexts for Growth 14 4 Case Studies 38 Strategy? and Character Areas Bancroft Gardens and 38 s Introduction 5 Canal Basin, Stratford Growth Aims and Vision 5 The Towpath Café, 39 t Economic Investment and 18 Regents Canal, London Location 5 Development Adjacent to Waterways Liverpool Link, Leeds and 40 Liverpool Canal 2 Background 9 Social and Recreational 20 n Environmental Context 10 Use of Waterways 5 Action Plan Summary 41 Historical and Heritage 11 Value of Waterways to 21 the Visitor Economy Economic Investment and 41 e Context Development Areas Context for Public Health 15 Character Areas 22 Adjacent to Waterways t Boughton Corridor 24 Social and Recreational 42 City Gateway 26 Use of the Waterways The Walls 28 Value of Waterways to 44 n Tower Wharf 30 the Visitor Economy Riverside Link 32 46 City Waterside 34 6 Acknowledgements o Reference documents 46 Broader Linkages 36 Thanks 47 C 4 Chester Waterways Strategy 1 Why a Waterways Strategy? “Given the significance of the Canal and River Dee as a network of waterways from a leisure, visual, urban form and heritage perspective it is vital that a comprehensive Waterways Strategy is developed for the city…to maximise the potential of the waterways as an economic and social asset.” Chester One City Plan 2012 Chester Waterways Strategy 5 Introduction Vision This Waterways Strategy for Chester is a direct deliverable from Chester’s Chester Waterways will One City Plan focusing in detail on the opportunities that the waterways be better connected. present. The ‘joined up’ strategy will deliver an impact The strategy development has been undertaken in partnership between in terms of social, Chester Renaissance, Cheshire West and Chester Council, Canal and River Trust, Chester Canal Heritage Trust and the Inland Waterways Association. economic and physical Importantly it has taken into consideration views and aspirations from regeneration more a large body of local stakeholders who have attended workshops and than the sum of its consultation meetings. individual parts. Chester’s waterways The Waterways Strategy also takes into account the large body of work, studies, development briefs and research related to the waterways over will, once again, play the last 20 years. These source documents provide a very strong their part in delivering foundation on which to form the strategy and on which to build. growth and vitality for the city. The 2010 Urban Land Institute Report highlights both the River Dee and Shropshire Union Canal in the top ten assets of Chester. Aims and Vision The key aims of this strategy are: 1 Provide clear direction for how developments related to waterways can contribute to the growth agenda. 2 Improve the connectivity between the canal, river and city encourage increased inward investment and increased tourism. 3 Encourage increased employment relating to the leisure economy and maximise the potential of the waterways for recreational purposes. 4 To complement the emerging transport strategy, cycling strategy and importantly, provides input to the statutory Local Plan which guides development. 6 Chester Waterways Strategy Sub-regional Map The sub-regional context and position of the waterways is important to appreciate in order to maximise the potential connections and opportunities that could be achieved. This map demonstrates the wider connections. © Crown copyright and database rights 2014 Ordnance Survey 100049046 Chester Waterways Strategy 7 Water Corridors Map Main focus of Chester’s Waterways Strategy is on the River Dee corridor and the Shropshire Union Canal corridor. For the purpose of this strategy the Dee corridor is defined as extending from Eccleston Ferry through Chester to the Welsh border at Saltney. The Shropshire Union Canal Corridor is defined as extending from Quarry Bridge, Christleton, through to Caughall Bridge incorporating the Dee Branch to the river lock. The One City Plan area is highlighted within these corridors. © Crown copyright and database rights 2014 Ordnance Survey 100049046 8 Chester Waterways Strategy Access Map The towpaths and riverside paths can offer traffic free alternative routes which by their nature tend to be level, providing accessible walking and cycling throughout the year with links to the footpaths and cycleways across Chester. The Waterways Strategy builds on and dove-tails with the newly adopted Cycling Strategy for Chester and the emerging Transport Strategy for the city. Key access routes are indicated on this map. © Crown copyright and database rights 2014 Ordnance Survey 100049046 Chester Waterways Strategy 9 2 Background It is evident from the nature of the waterways that a whole range of agendas are touched upon when considering the waterways: environmental factors, flood defence, health benefits, transport routes, heritage assets, social and recreational opportunities, visitor economy, regeneration etc. For the purpose of this Waterways Strategy we will set the broad policy contexts in order to establish a coherent and considered approach for Chester’s waterways and then focus in detail on the ‘Contexts for Growth’ and ‘Character Areas.’ 10 Chester Waterways Strategy Environmental Context It is widely recognised that Chester’s Having water in the heart of the city Water and adjacent greenspace also environment plays a significant role in is a great asset and the River Dee is provide an important buffer against ensuring the attractiveness of the city of clear environmental significance. the effects of climate change as for visitors, residents and business. The Dee is internationally important waterside trees provide shade and having been designated as a Special evaporation cools the surrounding This was acknowledged in the Area of Conservation (SAC) and is also built areas. One City Plan, which identified a Site of Special Scientific Interest as a key action the effective use and (SSSI). It is valued as a river system Seeing blue and green spaces as integration of the city’s blue and from source to sea and brings Atlantic a whole, and managing them in green infrastructure. This recognises Salmon and Otters through the city. an integrated way, shows us that the many functions of water within they are greater than the sum of the city; for example, providing a high The Shropshire Union Canal provides their parts. Understanding their quality environment, encouraging an important route for the movement multifunctional benefits ensures access by linking its urban and rural of people and wildlife through the the most efficient use is made and greenspaces and natural habitats. urban area. As well as the obvious in turn balances the needs of people use by inland waterway craft it is also and the natural environment. an important route for walkers and cyclists and has been designated as a Local Wildlife Site, providing important aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Chester Waterways Strategy 11 Historical and Heritage Context Chester’s Waterways: History Chester’s wealth in medieval times The Chester Canal was forced to and Heritage was built on its trade with Ireland stop at Nantwich, a dead end. By and overseas, and the port became 1796 it ‘was in a ruinous condition’. Chester has a fascinating system the most important in north-west Nevertheless, it was this canal that of interconnected waterways that England. The Dee was, however, gave us today’s waterway through are the result of its history as a silting up and in 1733 the river the dramatic Northgate cutting and trading and administrative city. downstream from Chester was out of the city through Boughton. canalised to become the straight The Romans sited their legionary waterway we see today. The After 1795 the Chester Canal fortress at Chester around AD 72 scheme failed to save Chester’s was revived by the new waterway because the River Dee at this point port, however, partly because the that was built from Chester to swung west through a bridgeable waterway was defective and also what became Ellesmere Port. This narrow gorge and opened out to because the River Dee Company did created the unusual and attractive form suitable moorings for a port not maintain it. By the 1800s even canal layout we see today with its for North Wales and Ireland. small vessels of 100 tons struggled locks at the Northgate, the wharf, The location of the Old Dee Bridge to reach Chester. Liverpool warehouse and boatyard at Tower was fixed from then on. A thousand overtook Chester to become the Wharf and the branch canal down years later Hugh Lupus, Earl of north-west’s premier port. to the Dee near Crane Wharf. Chester, was responsible for Between 1795 and 1835 new building the first Dee Mills and Liverpool’s rise was partly helped canals linked Chester with the erecting Chester Weir to provide after 1766 by the building of the Mersey, the Potteries, North Wales a head of water to power the mill Grand Trunk Canal from the River and the industrial midlands. These wheels. The weir created a barrier Mersey to the Midlands. Chester’s schemes did little, however, for the between the upper and lower Dee business leaders thought that if Port of Chester which continued that remains today and makes it they could connect with the Grand to decay. Chester was now merely difficult for boats to pass from one Trunk at Middlewich they would a point on canals going elsewhere, to the other. Other mills were built divert some trade back to the Port but the canal banks at Boughton at the Handbridge end of the weir. of Chester. To do this they opened attracted new industries like the They closed in 1954 whilst the Dee the Chester Canal in 1779. It was leadworks, corn mills, timber yards Mills closed in 1908. The site was a failure. The owners of the Grand and chemical works.