Malvern retail park extension approved

Maze Planning Solutions has secured permission for two additional retail units at Malvern Retail Park, acting for the park owner, Consolidated Property Group (CPG).

The two-storey units have the benefit of unrestricted food and non-food planning permission and have attracted strong occupier interest. Construction will start shortly.

The development of additional space continues CPGs programme of expansion and improvement at Malvern, which started in earnest last year with construction of pod units for Caffe Nero and Carphone Warehouse.

CPG is shortly to reveal proposals for upgrading existing units at the retail park - a planning application is imminent.   

Bury Retail Review

 

The retail market is stirring in Bury.  The town’s famous market might still the main draw for coach trippers but Scottish Widow’s recently announced sale of the Mill Gate Centre hails the prospect of fresh retail investment and lettings at a key town centre asset, which relinquished occupiers to Thornfield’s The Rock, just as the recession bit hard. 

Here’s a quick roundup of what’s happening in Manchester’s northern outpost.

The Rock

Bury is still adjusting to The Rock, which opened in summer 2010, adding 74,000 sq.m of retail space, Vue cinema, AMF bowling and the town’s first clutch of chain restaurants.  The scheme delivered large floorplate units, attracting debutants Primark, Debenhams and Superdry.  Others transferred from traditional prime areas in the Mill Gate Centre, notably M&S, but several vacancies remain following early tenant churn.  More development is promised, adding four restaurant / café units at the west end of the scheme on the Sol Viva nightclub site.  Permission was secured in 2013 and the site is ready to go.

The Mill Gate Centre

Contracts were exchanged in June for sale of The Mill Gate Centre by Scottish Widows for about £52 million.  InfraRed Capital Partners is acquiring and will hope to reduce voids caused by tenant failures and defections to The Rock.  It retains BHS as anchor, along with Boots, New Look, Specsavers and Waterstones.  There is potential for reconfiguration of the mainly covered centre.  Scottish Widows drew up a development plan after its purchase in 2005 but the recession that followed and shift of focus to The Rock meant nothing progressed.

Bolton Street

Bury Council granted planning permission in September 2013 for a 12,000 sq.m foodstore on the vacant police HQ site and leisure centre, at Bolton Street, on the western edge of town.  The Council’s partner ASK Developments, must ensure relocation of the leisure centre to nearby Knowsley Street.  Morrisons and Sainsburys were rumoured as a potential occupiers - neither is represented in the town - but local agents doubt the retailer appetite for a large store.  The permission is the subject of judicial review by rival developer Morbaine, which has aspirations for a foodstore across town at Derby Way.  Morbaine’s challenge was initially rebuffed by the courts but a subsequent hearing in March 2014 determined there were legitimate grounds for challenge.  Negotiations are ongoing between the parties; Council Officers say it might lead to cessation of the proceedings.

Derby Way

Morbaine has options on 2.4 hectares of land east of The Rock, occupied by First Bus.  Planning permission for a 10,500 sq.m foodstore was refused in September 2013, at the same committee that approved the Council’s alternative Bolton Street scheme.  Sainsbury’s was associated with the site but, like Bolton Street, sentiments seem to have changed and the retailer is unlikely to commit.

Woodfields Retail Park

A Tesco British Land JV, anchored by the eponymous retailer on the northern edge of the town centre, off Peel Way. Tesco’s superstore is dominant in the town and likely to be extended to add dot.com facilities, servicing a growing demand for multi-channel retailing.  A planning application is with the Council.  The retail park is fully let, home to Boots, Next, Sports Soccer, Currys and JD Sports.

Moorgate Retail Park

Located on the east edge of the centre, Moorgate is recovering from the failure of MFI in late 2008 and Comet in December 2012. Home Bargains mopped up the former MFI unit about 12 months ago – its third outlet in the town.  The Comet space remains available 18 months after the shutters came down, but is the only vacant retail warehouse in town.

Other Town Centre Retail Parks

Angouleme Retail Park (George Street) and Halls Retail Park (Foundry Street) complete the line‑up of town centre retail parks, fully let and neighboured by Asda and Matalan stores on the southern edge of the retail core. Key occupiers include Argos, TK Maxx, Smyths Toys and Pets at Home.

Elton

Further afield, 0.8 mile west of the town centre, Lidl is seeking consent for a store at Victoria Street.  The Council refused permission in September 2013, concerned about the site’s out-of-centre location and loss of employment land.  Lidl has appealed and awaits a decision.  In the meantime Aldi has stolen a march on its discount rival, securing space at the neighbouring Crostons Retail Park, ending a patchy period for a former Netto store, which has seen several occupiers come and go since its closure in 2010, ironically just as Netto makes a return to the UK market.

Park 66, Pilsworth

Park 66, at junction 3 of the M66, 1.5 miles south east of Bury town centre, is a mothballed leisure investment next to Asda’s established superstore.  Mutil‑screen cinema, bowling and restaurant buildings were vacated following movement of tenants to The Rock.  A standalone Pizza Hut continues to trade.  Marketing in 2010 generated interest for retailing, subject to planning, but nothing made it off the drawing board.  The site is being marketed now - offers are due in any day and likely to see industrial or warehousing emerge as the preferred use.

Topps Tiles - Bury space ready to go

NEWS Cutting - Insider News 03 July 2014

Flooring retailer Topps Tiles has agreed to take space in Bury. The business will move into a trade counter premises on Webb Street which was previously occupied by Pendle Designs.

The property has been remodelled and refurbished to suit the company's requirements.

Paul Nolan, director of Nolan Redshaw, the sole agent on the property, said: "We are delighted to secure this letting on behalf of our client who has worked closely with Topps Tiles to refurbish this building to suit their needs and we are delighted with the finished product.

"It also follows on from the successful letting we did to Screwfix at the adjacent building twelve months ago and shows that well-presented properties in the right location will attract high calibre occupiers."

Nolan Redshaw and MAZE Planning Solutions acted on behalf of a private client and Topps Tiles was unrepresented. 

Topps Tiles ready for Bury

Work is underway on Topps Tiles new outlet in Bury, Greater Manchester.  The company will occupy 650 square metres of space overlooking Crostons Road, next to B&Q, Safestore and Screwfix.

The former Pendle Designs industrial building is being comprehensively remodelled and refurbished to provide modern space for the business, which provides a range of tiles, hard floor finishes and related products geared towards meeting the needs of the trade sector and competent DIY'ers.

The development is being undertaken by a private investor, with planning advice provided by MAZE Planning Solutions and acquisition and letting work undertaken by Nolan Redshaw Chartered Surveyors.

Standish Foodstore Approved

MAZE Planning Solutions has secured Planning Permission and Conservation Area Consent for a foodstore development in central Standish.

Wigan Borough Council's approval enables the development of a 2,618 square metre (28,470 square feet) supermarket on the site fronting the A49 High Street, owned and occupied by Noel Chadwick Ltd.

The applications were submitted to the Council in July 2013, following public consultation in February and March of that year and pre-application discussions with Planning Officers which commenced in June 2011.

The site will be cleared to make way for a new, high quality, stone-faced building, served by a 150 space car park with direct access from High Street.

MAZE led a bespoke professional team for the application work, with significant contributions made by:
Nolan Redshaw Chartered Surveyors
Ratcliffe Groves Partnership Architects
Stephen Levrant Heritage Architecture
Croft Transport Solutions
Urban Green
Ribble Ecology
Hepworth Acoustics
Betts Associates Geo Environmental
Waterco
Utilities Connections Management Ltd
GEM Air Quality Ltd
Napthens Solicitors

Iceland sign up at New Brighton

Iceland Foods has signed a 15 year lease on 570sqm of space at Neptune Developments' scheme at Marine Point scheme on the Wirral peninsula.

The move follows the recent grant of planning permission to amend the original consent necessary to enable Iceland to trade from the site. MAZE Planning Solutions provided specialist retail advice for the planning application, which was submitted by Roman Summer Associates.   

Iceland is fitting out and will open on 4 March.  Neptune has also announced that Pizza Express has signed a 25 year lease and will also open soon.

The waterfront regeneration scheme at New Brighton provides over 20,000 square metres of retail, leisure and hotel floor space.  The tenant line up includes Morrisons, Grosvenor Casino, The Light cinema, Travelodge, Green King, Prezzo, Starbucks, La Tasca, Chimichanga and Loungers.

Bromley Cross foodstore unveiled

MAZE Planning Solutions has submitted a detailed planning application to Bolton Council today (7 November) for a retail and office development in Bromley Cross. 

The application has been made on behalf of the landowner, CW Construction (North West) Ltd, and proposes redevelopment of the vacant former Green Bengal restaurant on Darwen Road.
 

The anchor foodstore has been designed in conjunction with Sainsbury's and the scheme also includes further unit shops as an expansion of the established Bromley Cross local shopping centre.
 

The new buildings will be constructed in natural stone and materials reclaimed from the existing building will be used to form boundary walls and other hard landscaping elements.  

Standish Foodstore - Public Consultation

This consultaion is now closed.  Please telephone for further information 
MAZE Planning Solutions has today set out proposals for the future of The Chadwick Family’s land and property at High Street, Standish.  The area is to be redeveloped to provide a new foodstore on the edge of the town centre, providing a significant boost to the town’s retail facilities.

Before any formal planning application is made MAZE Planning Solutions is conducting a period of public consultation. 

 
From today and until Friday 22 March details of the development and consultation feedback forms will be available on request from MAZE and can be accessed following the links at the end of this article.

There will be an open day held at Standish Methodist Church, High Street on 19 March (2pm-8pm) where the development team will be available to explain the scheme and answer questions.      

The proposed development is comprised of a purpose built foodsore fronting High Street in the Standish Conservation Area, providing a building of 2,330 sq.m gross floorspace (25,028 sq.ft), together with parking for 150 cars and a new access junction on to High Street, replacing all existing buildings and access arrangements.

Andrew Watt of MAZE Planning Solutions said:

“The Chadwick Family has a very long association with Standish, initially as farmers and latterly as butchers and retailers, and all within 200 metres of the present High Street site.  The family’s forward looking proposals will create a modern retail business that will give the residents of Standish and the surrounding rural communities a great opportunity to carry out their day‑to‑day food shopping locally. 

We’ve been in discussion with officers of Wigan Council about the future of the Chadwick’s site for several months, to make sure the scale and design of the proposed foodstore are right for the town and its Conservation Area.  During that time the design team has undertaken a wide range of investigations looking at traffic, ecology, noise, retailing and heritage issues to name a few, and we think the scheme is now ready to share with a wider audience before a planning application is submitted.

The site is already a familiar destination for Standish’s shoppers who visit the food emporium and restaurant.  It is perfectly positioned to provide a new foodstore with free short­­‑stay parking that can also serve established shops and services in the town centre.

There’s also great potential to encourage use of the site as a new ‘Park and Walk’ location for Wood Fold School, intercepting school‑bound traffic arriving from the East along the A49 so it doesn’t have to pass through the town centre at peak periods.  It’s any easy walk from the site to school on level footpaths that are off the main road.

We’re asking for feedback on the proposed development before we settle on a scheme and submit a planning application to Wigan Council.  As it stands we think the site can accommodate a building of 2,330 square metres gross (25,082 square feet), served by 150 space car park.  That would translate into a shop with a sales area of about 1,400 square metres (15,070 square feet).”    

The public consultation runs until 5pm, Friday 22 March. 

Malvern Retail Park Extension - ready to go

Work is due to start imminently on the expansion of Malvern Retail Park , which will initially provide 250sqm (2,700sqft) in two units for retail and cafe use following the recent grant of planning permission, secured by MAZE Planning Solutions.

Planning permission is also in place for an additional 1,860sqm (20,000sqft) two storey unit to extend the existing retail terrace and provide further car parking.  

The development is owned by Cheshire-based Consolidated Property Group.  The fully let prime retail park is situated North-East of Malvern town centre and currently provides 140,000sqft of space in 11 units, plus a drive-thru restaurant and almost 600 parking spaces.  Tenants include M&S, Next and Boots.

MAZE has previously advised Consolidated Property Group in relation to its retail developments and investments at Dragonville Retail Park (Durham), Centre Retail Park (Oldham) and Chester Retail Park

Malvern Retail Park Extension

The Malvern Gazette has reported details of MAZE Planning's application for extension of Malvern Shopping Park made on behalf of the owner Consolidated Property Group in April 2012.  The article reassures local readers that Malvern town centre is in good health, with few vacancies and typically fast turnaround of any space that does become available. 

The planning application proposes development of two additional units, extending the existing retail park by 252 square metres.  If approved the new units will have permission for dual use, allowing occupation for both retail and cafe/restaurant uses. A decision on the planning application is expected in early June.

Read the Malvern Gazette article here

Malvern Retail Park Extension

Permission is on its way for an extension of Malvern Retail Park following successful passage through Planning Committee on 15 June. The extension will provide 1,960sqm (21,000sqft) of open A1 retail space and a 140sqm coffee designed as a contemporary bookend to the established retail terrace.

The prime retail park is owned by Alderley Edge based Consolidated Property Group and is fully let. Tenants include M&S, Next and Matalan. The new space is being provided as part of a planned programme of asset management at the park, which was acquired by CPG on 2009 and includes additional parking and access improvements.

MAZE Planning Solutions led the planning application process, supported by inputs from RGP Architects, CBO Transport, Warrington Martin, and Oakbay Design. Savills are letting and managing agents.