A five-storey apartment block containing 84 new flats is proposed for a prominent vacant plot on Tabley Street in Northwich, a scheme that forms the latest piece in the town’s extensive regeneration jigsaw.
Property developer Courts Developments Limited has submitted an outline application to Cheshire West and Chester Council for the 4,482sqm residential-led scheme. The design features a ‘stepped’ apartment block rising to a maximum of five storeys, or 16 metres in height, which would make it one of the tallest structures on the Northwich town centre skyline. The proposed mix includes 54 one-bedroom and 30 two-bedroom apartments.
Larger plans for a key town centre site
The site, which borders the Barons Quay shopping and leisure complex to the west and a Sainsbury’s supermarket to the east, has a recent planning history. In 2021, Courts Developments secured permission for a three-storey building with 34 apartments on the same land, described in council documents as the former dairy site. That approved scheme included a relocated public footpath to better connect Barons Quay, Tabley Street, and the supermarket. The land was advertised for sale as a ‘residential opportunity’ in late 2025, but the developer has now returned with a significantly larger proposal.
The new application details up to 55 car parking spaces across two areas, with 43 of those spaces fitted with electric vehicle charging points. Cycle storage is also planned. At ground level, facing Tabley Street, the plans include a “small and flexible” commercial space of approximately 145 square metres. Planning documents state options considered include a community space, a retail unit, or a café/restaurant, though no final decision on its use has been made.
In its design statement, the developer says the scheme is “designed to be outward looking to ensure that the building addresses the street scene and the wider surroundings, whilst also enhancing natural surveillance of the area.” Residential apartments on the ground floor would open directly onto a communal garden, with ancillary spaces like bin stores and plant rooms positioned along Tabley Street for servicing access.
Affordable housing and local need
A central component of the application, and a key requirement for council approval, is the provision of affordable housing. Cheshire West and Chester Council operates a policy seeking to maximise affordable housing provision up to a target of 30% on new developments.
The council’s definition of affordable housing encompasses several tenures, including social rent, affordable rent, shared ownership, shared equity, discounted market sale, and the government’s First Homes scheme for first-time buyers. The specific mix for any development is determined by an assessment of local need and the overall financial viability of the project.
The planning application acknowledges this target, stating: “Within this target, the proportion, type, tenure and size of affordable housing sought in each case will depend on site specific circumstances and the overall effect on the viability of the scheme and will take into account the most up to date assessment of affordable housing needs.” The council’s own Housing Strategy for 2025-2035 emphasises the need for more affordable homes to address local challenges, including preventing homelessness.
The proposal sits within the wider context of the Northwich Development Framework, a masterplan guiding the town’s regeneration. This includes the major Weaver Square redevelopment, described as a “once-in-a-generation” project to create a new mixed-use heart for the town with homes, a library, and public squares. The adjacent Barons Quay, an £80 million complex that opened in 2016, has itself been adapting, with efforts to diversify its occupier mix beyond traditional retail to include more leisure and food offerings to increase footfall.
The outline application, registered under council reference 26/00844/OUT, is now pending consideration by the local planning authority.
