Marks & Spencer is rethinking plans to anchor a Land Securities scheme in Birmingham in favour of opening a new store at St Modwen’s Longbridge redevelopment.
M&S had been expected to anchor LandSec’s 430,500 sq ft Battery Park scheme at Selly Oak with a 120,000 sq ft store, but is now in talks over a 140,000 sq ft shop at the redevelopment of the former MG Rover plant in Longbridge.
A source said: “M&S’s preference is Longbridge as it would pick up a new catchment area in Bromsgrove to the south of the city and beyond, so there would be no over trading with its existing city centre stores. Battery Park would be a duplication for M&S in the city centre.”
LandSec is also said to be in talks with Primark as another potential anchor. However, agents have said both schemes have hurdles to overcome.
St Modwen’s £70m town centre project at Longbridge has already secured a pre-let to Sainsbury’s for an 85,000 sq ft supermarket and has reached its maximum permitted level of retail floorspace, meaning it would need further permission from the local council for the M&S store.
The council has concerns about the scale of the LandSec scheme and its potential negative effect on town centre retailers. LandSec is mulling over the scale of its proposals.
A source added: “M&S needs to see the outcome of LandSec’s revised proposals before it makes a decision within the next 12 months.”
It would be the second time in recent months that LandSec has faced a change of heart by M&S. Four years ago the retailer said it would take a 150,000 sq ft store at the extension to Buchanan Galleries in Glasgow, but at Mapic last November it was revealed that the retailer was no longer on the schematics.
Lisa.pilkington@estatesgazette.com
