THE DEVELOPMENT

Chester’s New Leisure Destination Transforming the City 

Chester Northgate is becoming one of Chester’s go to leisure destinations. The development brings together a mix of entertainment, hospitality and wellbeing, including a cinema, market, restaurants, offices, event space and multi storey car park. 

Chester Northgate has become Chester’s biggest project within the last 40 years. The £72 million development site covers the size of over 2 football pitches and is set to create over 300 jobs from the project. Construction began in July 2020 and was completed in autumn 2022. 

The multi-storey car park was one of the first elements of Chester Northgate to be completed, followed by Cosy Club on Northgate St. New Chester Market, Picturehouse and a curated mix of restaurants including Zizzi, Turtle Bay, Bridge Street Coffee then followed with the newest addition of Maray which opened in early December 2025.  

A key focus on the project was making sure to protect the archaeology on site, which was once one of largest Roman fortresses in Britan. More than over 10,000 Roman artifacts were found however less than 3% of the archaeology that has been found will be disturbed. The buildings have been designed to ‘float’ over the archaeology.  

In honour of the Roman 20th Legion that was based at Chester Northgate, their symbol of a wild boar is used the New Markets logo and there is also a sculpture outside the Market.  

Chester Northgate includes a brand new central square and arcade that was formed from the central arch of the former coachwork’s façade built in 1914. The public was invited to submit names for these spaces, with over 800 suggestions received. Following an online vote with more than 5,500 participants, the names Coachworks Arcade and Exchange Square were chosen.  

Exchange Square is the centre of Chester Northgate with 250 sqm of versatile, high-quality events space. It offers a stylish backdrop for activation, markets, performances and brand experiences. Its design complements the heritage of Chester’s historic core while offering a modern, clean canvas.   

Sustainability  

Sustainability was a vital principle of the Chester Northgate development. Four new trees were planted in the square as well as there will be over 750 square metres of green walls incorporated to the development. These green walls are expected to capture over 980kg of carbon each year, which is equivalent to planting 38 trees. 

The development also provides extensive cycle parking, including a dedicated cycle hub, electric vehicle charging points within the car park, and nesting boxes for swifts and bats to support the wildlife. 

Throughout the construction 99.7% of the waste from site was either recovered or recycled. Reclaimed Roman sandstone has been reused to repair Chester’s historic city walls, while 200 tonnes of sand excavated from the drainage tunnel have been donated to Chester Zoo. 

Social Value and Community Impact 

Throughout the construction of Chester Northgate, it has supported over 650 apprentice weeks, 110 employment opportunities, 22 school and college visits, and 20 community engagement activities, supporting skills development and local communities. 

Learn more about the social value impact below.

Investing in Chester’s Future 

Chester Northgate is a long-term investment in Chester’s economy, environment and heritage. By combining leisure, culture, sustainability and infrastructure improvements it’s creating a destination that will benefit the city and its communities for generations to come.