London mayor Ken Livingstone has recommended that the deputy prime minister gives the go-ahead to Standard Life/Hammerson’s revised plans for Brent Cross in North London.
In a letter to the Government Office for London, Livingstone said that the mixed-use redevelopment is vital to the regeneration of the entire area.
The application, which was approved by Barnet council on 29 January, is now awaiting a decision from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
Deputy prime minister John Prescott turned the original plans down in April 2000, after an inspector found that the applicants had failed to establish a need for the proposal, as is required for “out-of-centre” schemes, and that the proposal would harm nearby town centres.
Last February, Hammerson/Standard Life lost an appeal against that decision.
In December, Hammerson/Standard Life scrapped plans for a 290,000 sq ft (27,000 sq m) extension to Brent Cross shopping centre in favour of a more ambitious mixed-use scheme totalling 1m sq ft (92,900 sq m).
Livingstone said in his letter: “The timing of any retail development at Brent Cross is important in terms of providing an early stage of development that supports the longer term regeneration proposals of the wider area.
“This would allow for the securing of necessary funds and infrastructure contributions from developers to support significant new development at Brent Cross, Cricklewood and West Hendon.”
Hammerson director Peter Cole said: “We welcome the mayor and Barnet’s support for Brent Cross and Cricklewood.
“The mayor clearly acknowledges that the regeneration of Cricklewood can be achieved by making an early start at Brent Cross and thereby kickstarting the development process and building confidence in the future of the area.”
Cole said that the scheme would create “a mixed-use town centre that will provide a thriving heart for Cricklewood, as well as generating a massive £42.5m boost for public transport and a new bridge link across the North Circular to bind Brent Cross and Cricklewood.”
Hammerson chief executive John Richards has previously said that the Brent Cross and Cricklewood “projects are complementary but separate.”
EGi News 03/02/03
