THERE is a magic word that all retailers need to see at the top of a developer’s list of priorities - footfall.

To introduce footfall to any development, there must be a focal point to draw the public in.

Barons Quay has no prominent focal point of any kind.

A car park, whilst essential, is not a focal point:, nor is a major supermarket in a town with five other supermarkets, neither is a lone cinema no matter how many screens it has.

Neither is the signage above ASDA stating that Barons Quay is open to ‘eat, drink & shop’, that’s an unfulfilled promise.

What was and is still totally lacking is the vision to see the potential of a riverside leisure development.

Why has this opportunity been missed?

There is a considerable parcel of riverside land that could easily be developed as a focal leisure facility; which if linked to Town Bridge by a riverside walkway, would provide another route into Barons Quay.

There is an unkempt riverside mooring facility but there is no evidence of such a walk way being constructed However, there is a riverside park, which unless you take the trouble to walk around the whole development, you’d never guess was there.

It is not open to the public and there are no leisure facilities apart from a few seats.

Right next door and fenced off from the Quay are the buildings and plot of land that would be ideal from which to create a leisure facility, such as a restaurant, bar, entertainment venue, river moorings; but the possibility appears to have been ignored.

Cheshire West and Chester Council say they are to find £1.3m further funding to enhance the ‘attractiveness of Barons Quay to major retail businesses’; why not apportion part of this sum to buy up the buildings and land currently fenced off and create the necessary focal point?

If the riverside leisure potential is realised, then the council’s original concept of Barons Quay being the shopping hub of Northwich could well be realised.

This leads onto who the council wish to attract to the Quay.

Who are these major retailers that do not have an outlet in Northwich?

Am I right in thinking that TK Maxx wanted to open an outlet in Northwich, but didn’t show any interest in Barons Quay?

So if a major retailer like TK Maxx was not interested, shouldn’t the council be more open about who they are talking to, if they are talking, and not retreat behind ‘commercial sensitivity’?

Finally, if CWAC wants Barons Quay to be the shopping hub of Northwich, why not offer the town’s existing major retailers and banks an attractive package to re-locate to the Quay?

Their existing premises, once vacated, could be refurbished and offered to SME’s, start ups and boutique businesses.

Oh, and by the way, for heavens sake get rid of the dreadful black cladding.

It, in itself, is a complete turn off.

Ewen Simpson Whatcroft