A new commercial property shopping centre complex is set to be constructed by British Land in Whiteley Village, near to Fareham.
The 300,000sq ft. commercial property shopping centre in Whiteley Village will help kick start retail development following a break in building after schemes were postponed during the downturn.
Winchester City Council has approved the plans to redevelop the Whiteley Village commercial property retail centre, which will potentially create more than 1,000 jobs in construction and retail.
Whiteley’s previous designer business property outlet will be demolished and replaced with at least 40 new “community focused” shops. The retail outlet has been pushed financially over the past few years due to high competition from the Gunwharf Quays commercial property shopping centre in Portsmouth and Fareham town centre.
The Whiteley Co-Ownership Trust, have announced that approximately 50 per cent of the retail floor area has been let for the 300,000 sq. ft. development adjacent to an existing Tesco supermarket. The centre will be located between the two harbour cities of Portsmouth and Southampton and will benefit from excellent accessibility via Junction 9 of the M27.
High street commercial property giants, Marks and Spencer and Next are confirmed as retailers in the £64 million development. Other big names, including JD Sports, H&M, Boots, Sports Direct, Bank, Frankie and Benny’s and Starbucks have also signed up for retail units at the revamped shopping centre, which is designed by architect Corstophine and Wright.
There will be a total of 50 units of national and community retailers, totalling 242,000 sq. ft. of retail space trading at the commercial property outlet, alongside 58,000 sq. ft. of restaurants and cafes’. The centre will have 1,136 free car park spaces, as well as other amenities.
Head of Retail for British Land, Charles Maudsley said: “Whiteley has the success factors we look for in all our schemes: dominance and accessibility; affordability; good unit configuration and flexibility; and an excellent overall shopping environment.”
He further added: “British Land will concentrate on developing mid-sized, urban retail schemes like Whiteley and leveraging our ability, experience and financial strength to create incremental value. We have the right strategy to develop successfully and exploit future demand for the right space.”
Graham Burnett, Head of Property for USS further added: “Achieving this level of pre-lets in the current challenging climate is testament to both the high quality of the scheme and the strength of the combined team. “Whiteley will provide an excellent shopping experience which, importantly, will include independent local retailers and new community facilities. Its sustainability credentials will also be very strong, as evidenced by the development’s BREEAM ‘Excellent’ accreditation.”
In addition to the new shops, a library, parish council offices and a community centre will be added to the current on site Meadowside Leisure Centre to create a ‘community hub’.
Managing agent for the Whiteley development, Andrew Rollings expressed his delight at the plans to redevelop the shopping complex.
He said: “This is great news for Whiteley. The new development includes strong names and will provide an excellent shopping experience. Importantly, the centre will also include independent local retailers and new community facilities.”
The new commercial property shopping complex will feature shops with double height glazing and oak panels centred around a new square. It will also be more energy efficient with the use of natural materials and environmental features, including roof-mounted solar panels.
Mike Evans, Whiteley Councillor, said: “We are delighted by the announcement that major high street retailers are coming to Whiteley.”
The commercial property centre will primarily serve a large and affluent catchment of 1.2 million people in the local area; with an estimated £3.1 billion of potential spend. This will grow when a further 3,000 homes are constructed in North Whiteley.
James Jenkinson, City Council planning officer, said: “The reason for these development proposals is to generate a town centre which will be much more local. It will be better for local residents and have better local facilities.”
British Land and Universities Superannuation Scheme Ltd (USS), the developers who own the commercial property outlet have been consulting with Whiteley Parish Council and the Whiteley residents for over a year, in order to establish what the local community wanted.
Mike Evans said the community welcomed the expansion, which would benefit the community for the foreseeable future.
He added: “We believe the redevelopment is essential to the sustainability and growth of Whiteley and we are satisfied that the scheme will provide us with a vibrant and diverse town centre that better meets the needs of the existing and future population of Whiteley.”
The developers had already acquired planning permission to redevelop the area back in August 2010. However the original plans, which included a hotel and residential housing, were scrapped due to a lack of demand.
Cllr Theresa Evans, a former city councillor for Whiteley, praised British Land and USS for continuing to support the area regardless of the recession.
She commented: “I would like to say how pleased I am that in the current economic climate the developer has come back because it would be a pity if Whiteley was allowed to stagnate.
She further added: “I think it will be very well used and it will meet the demands of as local shopping centre for local people.”
Work on building the £64m Whiteley shopping centre will begin in early 2012 once the existing site has been fully cleared. The new commercial property shopping centre is set for completion by 2013 and will be one of just two shopping centre openings that year. Land Securities’ Trinity Leeds is also planned to open in spring 2013.
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