Southampton city council has ambitious plans for a cultural centre, leisure facilities catering for every age group and a multipurpose area. By Noella Pio Kivlehan
Southampton city council would like to make clear once and for all that the city does have a good restaurant offer. And people do not, as it has been rumoured, skip down the road to neighbouring Bournemouth.
“That suggestion is complete rubbish,” says Jeff Walters, the council’s economic development manager, pointing to the culinary offerings on Oxford Street.
Walters’ stance is admirable, but statistics do show that Southampton, which has roughly 60 restaurants – not including fast food or caf,s – lags behind Bournemouth’s 220, including hotels.
And a growth of clubs in Southampton has meant that, while the city’s 31,000 students are well catered for, those with more mature needs are left with a limited choice.
Walters admits that there “is something of an imbalance in the city centre”. This imbalance is set to change, however, with the development of two major schemes – the cultural area and West Quay phase III. Both are part of Southampton’s urban design-led strategy, which embraces six key areas that the council wants to regeneratefor mixed-use, high-density schemes (see map opposite).
Ever since John Lewis vacated the former Tyrell & Green building to take up residency at West Quay shopping centre, the Northern Above Bar area has been lacking an attraction.
In an effort to furnish this, plus add to the city’s night-time economy, the council plans a “cultural area”.
It states: “The aim is for culture and associated tourism to breathe new life into what was formerly a retail area. The associated restaurante, caf,s, bars and othertourism-related activities are encouragedas part of the night-time economy for allage groups.”
The council will not make a decision on its preferred developer until the end of the month, but it is hoped that, along with the bars and restaurants, there will be a multicultural art centre.
The other development, phase III of West Quay, will also bring a substantial amount of leisure to the city as well as regenerating the 5.5 acre former Perelli submarine site.
A masterplan for the site, delivered to the council earlier this month from the Sir Terry Farrell Partnership, shows a £96m mixed scheme of leisure, retail and residential.
Preferred developers were announced last October.
Hammerson, which developed West Quay phase II – the 800,000 sq ft shopping centre adjacent to phase III – has been appointedto work on the retail/leisure element.
Central plaza
Bravo Consortium was chosen for a7,000-seat arena, while Linden Homescame out the winner for the residential.
Hammerson’s proposal for the central and eastern area of phase III, which it has christened Arundel Quarter, totals 170,000 sq ft of leisure and retail.
This will be built around a central 1 acre plaza, and the masterplan indicates that the site could have a 12-screen multiplex cinema. A planning application will be submitted later this year.
Bravo’s arena is much needed. To host large events, the city has had to rely on the Guildhall at Southampton Civic Centre, which can hold a maximum of 1,750 for a concert or 1,200 people at conference, and the 3,200-capacity Mayflower Theatre on Commercial Road.
The multipurpose arena, planned to open in autumn 2005, will house concerts, conferences, and an ice rink.
The council has put great stress on the chameleon-like nature of the arena.
“We don’t want to put all our eggs in one basket because we don’t think the ice rink on its own will be viable, as we know other such ice-led schemes have failed,” says Walters.
More importantly, Bravo’s arena should help get Southampton onto the conference scene. The lack of a large venue has meant the city has lost out on lucrative business.
Nearby Bournemouth estimates conference business is worth £90m a year to the local economy, while Brighton puts the figure at £50m.
A multipurpose arena is good for the city, but Garry Cherrett, retail director at Young & Butt, cautions that, in its quest to make the arena all things to all people, the council should ensure the venue is run properly.
“The council will need to stage the right mix of events and make sure that events in the arena are not angled too much to one end of the market,” he says.
Southampton may need the leisure that phase III will provide, but there are still some rumblings that the council should have considered retail for the site.
While Sir Terry Farrell’s masterplan mixes retail and leisure, A3 is the dominant category.
Extra leisure is clearly needed, as Hammerson found when building phase II of West Quay. It identified more demand for restaurant outlets within the scheme than it could cater for.
High fashion
But Cherrett’s colleague at Young & Butt, company director John Butt, says he has sourced more than 200,000 sq ft of additional retail requirements for Southampton.
“We have high fashion people wanting to get into the city, and people like Borders, and big foodstores like Tesco.”
Butt says additional space could help the city move further up Experian’s Retail Rankings. Last year, Southampton ranked seventh, up six places on the previous year.
Butt also doubts whether the huge plaza is really needed. “I just think an acre of open space is a lot. It will be interesting to see how they use it,” he says.
Ian Hillman, a director at Austin Adams, says one acre of land is not that much. “You need a lung in the city, otherwise it would be a concrete jungle,” he says.
King Sturge’s Michael Green also disputes whether Southampton needs more retail space. “I am not convinced we have a shortage. Southampton is now an established regional shopping centre, and there’s not a distinct shortage of accommodation.”
Despite his reservations, Butt is keen not to be viewed as criticising the plan. He praises the fact that Southampton city council has started to develop rather than merely make promises to do so.
The debate about what should or shouldn’t be at West Quay’s phase III may possibly gather momentum when the masterplan goes before the council and then for public consultation at the end of April.
Most people will, however, agree with Butt that at least Southampton council is taking strides to move forward and improve the city’s leisure offer, regardless of whether they agree with every element of the masterplan.
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Winchester’s retail |
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Landlords rule as supply remains thin |
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Winchester’s retail market has been relatively quiet over the past year owing to the almost total lack of availability, says David Rowthorn of local agent Palmer Fry. “We have recently dealt with a handful of shopsin good secondary locations, and without exception each one has been subject to multiple applications from prospective tenants, with owners pickingand choosing upon the basis of rent, lease termsand covenant. “Likewise, a shop in the high street has recently been agreed following intense competition,” says Rowthorn. Rents for good secondary pitches are typicallyaround £50 zone A in Jewry Street and Southgate Street, £60 to £65 per sq ft in the Square, and£140 in the High Street. |
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Southampton’s leisure areas |
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Developments will add to the city’s offer Bedford Place/London Road: has caf,s, ethnic restaurants, pubs and clubs with speciality shopping, comedy venues and nightclubs. Oxford Street: this conservation area has mainly independent bars and restaurants such as Kutis Brasserie, the Olive Tree, the Boom, the Town House, Oxfords, and the Oxford Street Brasserie, plus the Stanley Casino. Commercial Road: a small number of restaurants and bars in the immediate vicinity of the Mayflower Theatre. Leisure World: family entertainment centre has the city’s two large nightclubs, a multiscreen cinema, themed bars, restaurants and a casino. Lower High Street/Below Bar: has pubs, bars and restaurants along with Jongleurs Comedy Club. |
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Source: Southampton city council |
