Mutually appreciative

Agents hope that amendments to a £100m retail and leisure scheme will live up to the council’s vision for Peterborough city centre. By Amanda Sutton Can a £220,000 advertising campaign transform a city’s fortunes? English Partnerships hopes so. It wants to turn Peterborough into the regional capital – and a proposed retail and leisure scheme will do its chances no harm. The scheme is the redevelopment of North Westgate, behind the Queensgate shopping centre, and local agents will not breathe easily until the first brick is laid. Developer Hawkworth Securities submitted a detailed planning application for the £100m development last March. Plans for the 7.4ha (18 acre) site include two department stores, shops, a nightclub, bowling alley, restaurants, bars, fitness centre and a doctor’s surgery. Hawkins is keen to see the area redeveloped, but questions the size and scale of the 37,160m2 (400,000 sq ft) project. “It could be more of a quasi-retail scheme incorporating the post office site and the redevelopment of the railway station,” he says. “Otherwise, I can’t see it working financially.” He also questions whether shoppers will be persuaded to come out of what if thought of as the back entrance of Queensgate, when traditionally they filter through to Bridge Street and the city’s main shopping area. Local agent Gavin Hynes of Lambert Smith Hampton agrees. He says: “It is not a retailing location at present and comparing rents of £200 per sq ft in Queensgate to £40 per sq ft in the best part of Westgate at the moment clearly shows this. Queensgate link “But a link to Queensgate, where the value is, is the key. Why plonk yourself next to it when you can be a part of it?” After intense talks with the council, Hawksworth Securities’ chairman Peter Breach is now involved in revising plans for the scheme. He says: “The scheme is an amendment of the first application, wit the main charge being the removal of the proposed multiplex. It wasn’t so much disagreement with the council, but we’re now planning development for the area more mutually. “The first application remains on the table but is likely to be superseded by the new scheme in the near future.” The scheme is being amended to face the John Lewis store in the Queensgate centre and, although Breach will not discuss whether he is in discussions wit John Lewis, he does admit that the new scheme will include an expansion of an existing department store as well as one completely new one. Agents, meanwhile, hope that department stores such as Debenhams or House of Fraser will be lured to Peterborough. Unlike Queensgate, the scheme will not be an enclosed mall, and, contrary to local rumours, neither will it be an in-town retail warehouse scheme, according to Breach. He says: “our scheme is orientated towards larger units than those in Queensgate and of a different nature. “We’re not interested in clashing with Queensgate.” Dickens Watts & Dade is joint agent with Harvey Spack Field on the proposed scheme and DWD’s Robert Dickens believes the sheer scale of the development will pull in the shoppers. “A third of the site is owned by Hawksworth and there will be no problem in accumulating the rest of the site. There is no link planned with Queensgate yet, but I hope there will be one – and also a link to the station. The council is keen to see something happen.” Dickens is hoping to attract retailers that require larger boxes to trade from, as space like this is not available in the city. Breach, similarly, believes the scheme has to be of the size proposed to be a sufficient enough draw to attract back shoppers who have strayed to neighbouring centres. It’s a view shared by the city council. Head of planning Alan Smith says: “It must increase the draw of the city as a whole and we need new investment. The site is a place for big space users as development out of town is not possible and we see leisure as a very important element of this site.” Office and industrial space availability Publisher EMAP is releasing much of its space and consolidating at PBK168 on Lynchwood Business Park Address Size (m2) Rent/Price (£ per m2) Agents Offices (940m2+) G/f south wing, Aragon Court, Northminster 921 100 Barker Storey Matthews 46 Priestgate 275-1,113 100 Barker Storey Matthews Apex House, Oundle Road 282-1,128 65 Lambert Smith Hampton Churchgate, New Road 416-1,173 108 Dickens Watts & Dade Wentworth House, Wentworth Street 406-1,273 81 Lambert Smith Hampton Bushfield House, Orton Centre 1,594 97 Dickens Watts & Dade/ Lambert Smith Hampton Southgate Park 492-2,077 129 Barker Storey Matthews Guild House, Oundle Road 285-2,721 65 Dickens Watts & Dade Minerva Business Park, Lynchwood 204-2,873 134-145/1,532-1,651 Barker Storey Matthews Sector 3 “Pegasus”, Bakewell Road 1,532-3,068 127 Lambert Smith Hampton Stuart House, City Road 497-6,080 129 Dickens Watts & Dade Industrial (940m2+) Fengate Warehouse Centre 620-2,838 Price:16,000-88,000pa Carter Jonas 4 Holkham Road 941 Rent: 35,000 pa Barker Storey Matthews 3 Venture Park, Bretton 1,009 34 Dickens Watts & Dade Oxney Road Industrial Estate 365-2,076 9,000-52,000pa Carter Jonas/Lambert Smith Hampton 22 Ivatt Way 1,151 33,000pa Barker Storey Matthews 5 Newark Road 1,487 490,000 Dickens Watts & Dade 5 Fengate Warehouse Centre 1,565 50,000pa Carter Jonas 2b Centurion Business Park, Bretton 1,652 66,700pa Barker Storey Matthews Phase II Rutland Bus Park, Newark Road 966-1,860 38 Carter Jonas Unit 1 The Links, Bakewell Road 1,789 53 Barker Storey Matthews Kepak Premises, Padholme Road 3,542 57/1.25 Dickens Watts & Dade Unit 2 The Links, Bakewell Road 4,162 53 Barker Storey Matthews 2 Bretton Way 4,667 30/4 – if refurbished Dickens Watts & Dade Morley Way 11,406 32 Dickens Watts & Dade Kingsbridge Centre, Bretton 2,694-13,935 46/538 Dickens Watts & Dade Source: Barker Storey Matthews Peterborough: key facts High-quality space for hi-tech occupiers is needed Offices ” South Bank regeneration scheme could provide high-quality office space, but will be a long time coming ” Cygnet Park at Hampton has clinched local charity Deafblind UK’s £3.5m headquarters on the site Industrial ” The Links on Bakewell Road – the first speculative building in 10 years – has been built and let. The second is expected at Hampton Source: Carter Jonas/Dickens Watts & Dade Key issues for North Westgate Agents are keen to see the scheme progress The scheme has been through public consultation and council officers will report back to the planning committee in mid-January. The main issues to address are: ” The quantity, quality and volume of floorspace and the question of big-box retail units and specialist retailers ” The retention of businesses, including The Brewery Tap pub which resides in a converted 1930s labour exchange and brews on site. The council wants to look at ways of incorporating such occupiers in the scheme, as well as a doctor’s surgery ” Car parking, particularly since the new scheme would obliterate parking for staff at Queensgate and an NCP. A bus/coach layover needs to be relocated and changes to the road network would affect access and services to Queensgate ” Pedestrian accessibility and links to Queensgate ” The effect on residential accommodation in North Westgate, as local people do not want service areas facing their homes. ” The retention of a church on Lincoln Road ” Leisure facilities and residential ” How to configure open space into the scheme, including new squares ” Whether the scheme should include Westgate House