Our recently completed pocket park located in Chester City Centre has played host to Chester’s Big Wheel over the festive season. Sadly, today is the last day people will be able to take a trip on the wheel until it’s hopeful return next year.

The park forms an important new public space at a major transport hub within Chester City Centre. The project, completed earlier this year, was designed as an arena space for such events as hosting the wheel and it certainly feels good to see it being used to full effect. I’m told the views over the Welsh mountains from the wheel were impressive, almost as impressive as the views of the planting below!

The design of the park was developed as a ‘meanwhile’ space utilising the land temporarily, although required to deliver maximum flexibility and aesthetic quality for public realm immediately adjacent to Chester’s busy main bus terminal. Designs also had to provide for a new National Express interchange and facilitate pedestrian movement throughout the wider area and involved working with critical archaeological conditions that restricted the depth of excavation to protect known and unknown assets from the Roman town. The use of seating, shrub and tree planting and informal mounding creates a quieter public space in what is otherwise a busy area of the city centre.

We look forward to seeing what events Cheshire West and Chester Council choose to hold in the park in the future!

The RLC team.