Shopping centre construction: top projects to watch

Author: Kate Guildford – Glenigan retail sector expert (@KG_Glenigan)

A report published earlier this year by global property consultancy Cushman & Wakefield suggests that shopping centre activity hit a four-year high in 2013, with more subdued activity planned for 2014 and 2015 as the market continues to recover from the economic downturn.

The report states that 88% of total shopping centre space developed in 2013 took the form of 11 new shopping centres, with the remainder comprising extensions to existing schemes. This takes the total UK shopping centre floor space to 16.9 million sqm, spread across 713 schemes.

So what are the next big shopping centre projects set to break ground over the next two years? We take a closer look at the developments on site, and in the pipeline, across the UK.

London

In May, London Mayor Boris Johnson gave the go-ahead for the £1 billion White City development (Glenigan Project ID: 05058887) for the Westfield Group, the world’s largest shopping centre developer. The scheme includes 215,000 sqm of retail, restaurant and leisure, along with more than 1,000 homes.

Delancey Estates is also working up plans for a £100 million redevelopment of the Elephant & Castle Shopping Centre (Glenigan Project ID: 13394989).

Meanwhile, in south east London, St Modwen is currently consulting on the £80 million Leegate Centre redevelopment (Glenigan Project ID: 14054984).

North West

Westfield is also a major player in the North West and is currently redeveloping the Broadway Centre in Bradford, in a £275 million scheme (Glenigan Project ID: 99367485).  Designed by Sheffield-based architect Hadfield Cawkwell Davidson, the development will create a three-storey shopping centre featuring 75 shops and two anchor stores with associated café, bars and restaurants, 1,400 car parking spaces and basement servicing. 

Work started in January 2014 and the centre is expected to open to customers in time for Christmas 2015, with confirmed tenants for the 51,000 sqm scheme including Debenhams, Marks and Spencer, Next, Topshop and Sainsburys.

North East

Willmott Dixon’s Flemingate development in the Yorkshire town of Beverley (Glenigan Project ID: 07265834) started on site two months ago. The £120 million scheme for developer Wykeland Group  includes 33,000 sqm of retail space anchored by Debenhams, a five-screen cinema complex operated by Parkway Cinemas, an 80-bed Premier Inn hotel, new office space, a range of restaurants, car parking for 556 cars and a community centre.

The Midlands

Among the largest shopping centre projects in the Midlands is the £40 million Victoria Centre redevelopment in Nottingham for Intu Properties, which is due to complete in 2015 (Glenigan Project ID: 13337362). 

Outline plans have been granted for the £200 million Telford Shopping Centre redevelopment in Shropshire, with work due to start in October (Glenigan Project ID: 12043529).  Plans for phase 1a, of the Southern Quarter, designed by Benoy, were recently submitted and include six retail units.

The South

The south of the England is dominated by two major developments planned for Greys, Essex, and Oxford. Intu Properties is currently negotiating with contractors for its £100 million planned extension to the  Lakeside Shopping Centre, which will form a leisure-led development designed by 3D Reid (Glenigan Project ID: 13300031).

In Oxford, Westgate Oxford Alliance’s £500 million redevelopment of the Westgate Centre is finally set to go ahead, with contractor negotiations underway and a planning application expected to be submitted imminently  (Glenigan Project ID: 00296266).

Scotland

Scotland’s largest shopping centre development is the Buchannan Galleries extension in Glasgow (Glenigan Project ID: 06499796).  Henderson Global Investors is the developer for the £230 million project and negotiations are currently underway for the main contract, with bidders including Brookfield Multiplex Construction Europe Ltd (BMCE), Laing O’Rourke and Lend Lease.  The scheme will include around 65,000 sqm of retail space and 1,700 parking spaces.

Wales

In Wales, Bowmer & Kirkland is currently on site with the Friars Walk development in Newport (Glenigan Project ID: 02419829). The £60 million scheme for Newport City Council and Queensberry Real Estate, designed by Leslie Jones Architecture, will create 37,000 sqm of retail space.

Northern Ireland

The Royal Exchange scheme in Belfast is currently going through the planning system (Glenigan Project ID: 00263134). Proposed by Leaside Investments, Snoddons Construction and William Ewart Properties, the £360 million scheme has been designed by architect Chapman Taylor.

For more information about retail construction, contact Kate Guildford on 01202 786718.