During the recession, a number of retail developments were put on the back burner as investment into the sector dropped hugely – fortunately most have now been kick started again as the economy continues to improve. However, few can claim to have faced quite as lengthy delays as the Queens Retail Park in Preston, which this week was granted outline planning consent by council planners 15 years after proposals were first submitted.
Plans for a development situated on an area of waste ground behind Stanley Street in the city centre were first submitted in 1999, when the city council planning committee granted permission for the construction of a superstore, several retail units and a residential block. Seven years later, in 2006, four 18 storey tower blocks which would create 605 housing units were included to the plans and also gained approval.
Unfortunately, several factors caused plans to be delayed over and over again, with financial difficulties caused by the recession being the primary reason for the project grinding to a halt. Most recently, a dispute between the “two battling landowners” responsible for the site caused further delays to development works beginning, this time for plans submitted in 2012.
This dispute has now been resolved as The Brookhouse Group, which owned the majority of the site to be developed, have acquired the remainder of land from rival firm Countryside Properties. Going forward, the firm intends to submit a final dossier to the city’s planning department containing firm plans regarding the future of the site.
Advisor to Brookhouse, planning consultant Alyn Nicholls, believes that the resolution of the dispute between the landowners is a huge step forward for a project so long in the making.
He says; “The important thing now is that we get something coming out of the ground.
“We cannot give any commitment to a start date because there are elements we just don’t know yet, but we have moved to a position where we are working well together to actually make it happen.”
Although the final plans for the site are yet to be submitted, it is believed that they will not deviate far from the proposals put forward in 2012. If this is the case, the Queens Retail Park will consist of a two storey shopping centre with adjoining multi-storey car park, a petrol station with car wash facilities and a pedestrian walkway connecting the site with nearby Church Street.
Mr Nicholls believes that, now Brookhouse have control over the entire site, the project will move forward swiftly.
He concludes; “Brookhouse decided they needed to acquire the Countryside land and move it along.
“Brookhouse will now develop the site and they will keep it within their own portfolio as a long term investment, so they have an interest in it being commercially successful and an attractive development in order to protect their investment.”
