The redevelopment of the former Soap Works and Tannery adjacent to the Bridgwater canal in Runcorn signals the beginning of Halton Council’s ambitious regeneration programme. The masterplan for the site aims to spread its influence beyond its immediate boundaries to unify the whole of the Old Town by suggesting a new pedestrian circuit animated by a range of new activities facing the street. The dramatic level changes across the site are exploited to create a series of linked spaces adjacent to the Bridgwater canal including the introduction of a new set of steps, civic in scale, rising from the high street to the canal-side.