WORK has begun on a new Costa coffee shop in Cheshire West as part of a £22.5m transformation.

The worldwide coffee giant’s new branch will be 1,800 sq ft, and include outdoor seating and a drive-thru, at the corner of Dene Drive and High Street, Winsford.

Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) will hand over the unit to Costa in spring 2024, and it's expected to open in summer 2024.

Susan Agnew, acquisition manager for Costa, said: “Costa is delighted to be part of this redevelopment and the upgrading of Winsford town centre."

Work on the £22.5 million regeneration of Winsford town centre started in spring, and is the biggest investment in the town centre shopping area since the 1960s.

This first phase of works will be complete by the end of 2024, and further phases of development will be announced as the project progresses.

Cllr Nathan Pardoe, CWAC cabinet member for inclusive economy, regeneration, and digital transformation, said: “It is fantastic to get spades in the ground on the regeneration of Winsford town centre.

“Modern town centres are about more than retail, which is why the regeneration of Winsford town centre will deliver improvements to environment, wellbeing for users, connectivity, and the economy.

“It will see jobs created for local people, trees planted and new car parking with electric vehicle charging points. Most of all, it will deliver a town centre that Winsford can be proud of."

As well as the new Costa coffee shop, the regeneration programme will bring a B&M retail unit and garden centre, new restaurants, and better parking facilities including electric car chargers.

A new public square will be home for the town's relocated war memorials, as well as a  leafy pedestrian boulevard with a distinctive parkland character. 

Cllr Karen Shore, deputy leader of the council, said: “This is an exciting first phase in the regeneration of the town centre.

“It shows the council’s commitment to Winsford and other town centres in the borough and builds on the acquisition of this site by the council in 2018.”