CHESHIRE West and Chester Council has moved to allay fears that cracks in Barons Quay are a cause for concern.

This follows the council being made aware of cracks to the plasterboard surrounding the escalators between Barons Quay Car Park and the entrance to Asda.

These were reported by concerned members of the public, who feared that they could have been caused by subsidence.

Four deep mines under the shopping precinct - Barons Quay Mine, Witton Bank Mine, Neumann’s Mine and Penny’s Lane Mine - were filled in as part of a £28 million project in 2007 led by the former Vale Royal Borough Council.

But a theory that these mines could be the cause of the cracks has been dispelled by the council, which has said that the cracks are merely cosmetic and not something to be concerned about.

A spokesperson for CWAC said: “The council is aware of the cracks in the plasterboard near the escalators next to Asda at Barons Quay.

“The cracks are cosmetic and nothing more serious.

“We acknowledge that the cracks detract from the appearance of the area for customers visiting Barons Quay and have referred this to our contractors to provide a suitable repair.

“The council will continue to inspect the site, as a matter of routine.”

Concerns over the stability of the former salt mines were raised in 2011, before work on the construction of Barons Quay began in 2014, by a historian and a town councillor.

This followed the Guardian revealing that although work was carried out to stabilise the four deep mines, top bed mines remained untouched and could pose a threat to redevelopment.

CWAC admitted at the time that the stabilisation scheme only concentrated on these deep mines.

A spokesman explained that the majority of the top bed mines collapsed in the 18th and 19th centuries and the land was infilled with imported ground materials.