A leading figure in the regeneration of cities in the UK has spoken about a bright future for Chester at a recent event.
Tim Heatley, founder of Capital&Centric, toured the city before telling a group of 150 city business representatives how much potential Chester has.
At the event, Mr Heatley praised the city’s business improvement district (BID) for bringing the breadth of Chester’s investment opportunities to the fore.
He said: “The future is looking bright for the city, they’re doing a great job of highlighting some of the fantastic investment opportunities that will reinvigorate and regenerate parts of the city that are ripe for development.
“Chester has some incredible collections of both historic and contemporary buildings – making it perfect for repurposing and reimagining.”
Mr Heatley built his business with a vision of turning unloved land and buildings into brilliant new places, with great architecture, offbeat design and a focus on energy efficiency.
He’s also the co-creator of an upcoming Channel 4 show – The Big Interiors Battle – due to air later this year.
He added: “Some of the opportunities Chester BID have highlighted have real scale to them, projects that can help level up Chester, creating a positive social impact lasting generations to come.”
Chester BID CEO Carl Critchlow said: “Having Tim cast his eye over the city and give his opinion on how we step forward is invaluable.
“We have such a strong mix of businesses here and we are so proud of what exists.
“But for Chester to really show its potential, Tim and other experts like him can really help us to see its potential and shape the city’s future in the best way possible.”
In total there are over 460 businesses in Chester’s BID area with a rateable value of more than £18,000.
Each company contributes a levy equal to 1% of their business rates every year to fund a wide range of improvements in the city.
It is expected that approximately £2.5m of private sector funds will be generated over the five-year BID term and this money will be reinvested back into the city centre.
