Stoke-on-Trent City Council is facing growing pressure to release land required by Intu Properties for the expansion of its city centre shopping destination. The sale has been mysteriously delayed after the council first claimed that they were prevented from selling the land, due to a contractual agreement with Realis Estates, and then admitted that this was not the case.
Intu wants the land in order to expand the Intu Potteries shopping centre. The plans include the addition of an eight screen cinema and six restaurants which the company hopes to open by 2015. Coincidentally or not, this is also the date that Realis will deliver its 650,000 sq ft City Sentral retail development which also includes a multi-screen cinema.
Initially it appeared that the council’s agreement with Realis would scupper Intu’s plans, but documents finally released by the council reveal that no such clause exists, a fact now confirmed by the council’s solicitor for regeneration, Gerry Clarke.
He said; “There are no provisions in the development agreement that specifically prevent the council from selling any of its land – other than land within the City Sentral development site – to a competitor.
“Nor are there any provisions in the development agreement which specifically prevent the council from supporting the expansion of the retail offer within the city centre.
“The development agreement does not prevent or restrict competition in the city.”
Council chief executive John van de Laarschot, the man who made the claims about the legally-binding agreement last year, has now issued a statement that says little to shed light on the mystery and councillor Paul Breeze says the council’s argument has now “collapsed.”
He is now calling on the council to conclude the deal which, he says, will create jobs and attract visitors to the city.
Martin Breedon, asset management director for Intu Potteries described the revelations as an “interesting turn of events” and promised that Intu will be back later this year to deliver its leisure scheme.
The development of City Sentral is part of the wide-ranging regeneration of Stoke-On-Trent that is seeing many parts of the city undergoing renewal. The first stage of this was completed earlier this year when a new city centre bus station opened. A new Central Business District has also broken ground.
