page_title: Chester
section_title: Developments
hierarchical_section_title: Chester / Economy / Developments
caption_attribution_description: River Dee, Chester, England Photo' by Wikityke.
context_page_description: Chester is a walled city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, close to the border with Wales. With a population of 79,645 in 2011, it is the most populous settlement of Cheshire West and Chester, which had a population of 329,608 in 2011, and serves as the unitary authority's administrative headquarters. Chester is the second-largest settlement in Cheshire after Warrington.
  Chester was founded as a "castrum" or Roman fort with the name Deva Victrix in the reign of the Emperor Vespasian in 79 AD. One of the main army camps in Roman Britain, Deva later became a major civilian settlement. In 689, King Æthelred of Mercia founded the Minster Church of West Mercia, which later became Chester's first cathedral, and the Saxons extended and strengthened the walls to protect the city against the Danes. Chester was one of the last cities in England to fall to the Normans. William the Conqueror ordered the construction of a castle, to dominate the town and the nearby Welsh border. Chester was granted city status in 1541.
  Chester is one of the best-preserved walled cities in Britain.
context_section_description: In 2007 Chester City Council announced a 10-year plan to see Chester become a "must see European destination". At a cost of £1.3 billion it was branded Chester Renaissance.
  The Northgate Development project began in 2007 with the demolition of St. Martin's House on the city's ring road. At a cost of £460 million, Chester City Council and developers ING hoped to create a new quarter for Chester. The development was intended see the demolition of the market hall, bus station, theatre and NCP car park. They were to be replaced with a multi-storey car park, bus exchange, performing arts centre, library, homes, retail space and a department store which will be anchored by House of Fraser. There project was put on hold in 2008 due to the economic downturn. However a number of Chester's other Renaissance projects continued, including a new health centre, offices and apartments in the Delamere Street development, and a hotel and new headquarters for Cheshire West and Chester Council in the £60million HQ development. Work on a new bus station started in October 2015 and it opened in June 2017. The Northgate Project is now being led by the council and is due to include a new market hall, cinema, multi-storey car park and restaurant units on the site of the former bus exchange. Building work has begun and is due to be completed in 2022.
caption: Chester Weir on the River Dee
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