Liverpool council has approved Grosvenor-Hendersons plans for a 1m sq ft (92,900 sq m) expansion of Liverpool city centres retail core.
The £700m application for the Bluecoat Triangle site at Paradise Street was first submitted 21 months ago but has been delayed by planning inquiries and challenges from a rival plan by Bill Davies Walton Group.
Grosvenor-Henderson plans to create 1m sq ft of shops as well as two hotels, 360 flats, a cinema, bars and restaurants and a health club at the 41-acre (16.6ha) scheme.
But the decision does not give the final green light to the development because Grosvenor-Henderson must now assemble the land.
Representatives of several businesses attended the planning meeting at Liverpool Town Hall to object to the plans on the grounds that their trade would be damaged by relocating.
Rod Holmes of Grosvenor said: “We will now try to get agreements with as many of the landowners as we can. If there are objections and people do not want to relocate there may be a further public inquiry next summer with a decision by the end of 2003.
“If we are successful in that inquiry we could be on site in early 2004 and complete by 2008.”
The approval was subject to certain conditions, most notably that occupants of nearby shops, such as John Lewis and Marks & Spencer in Church Street, must find new occupants for their stores before moving to Bluecoat.
Although John Lewis has yet to sign an agreement for Bluecoat it is known to be keen on a site close to Canning Place which would be suitable for an 800,000 sq ft (74,320 sq m) store.
Two large and one smaller department store site are available and several store groups including Beatties, Fenwick, House of Fraser, Debenhams and Allders are believed to be interested.
A public inquiry into Liverpools Unitary Development Plan concluded earlier this year that the Bluecoat scheme should proceed.
A separate inquiry later rejected Waltons rival plans, also for 1m sq ft of retail space, on the overlapping Chavasse Park site.
Waltons option to acquire and develop Chavasse Park was this month terminated by Liverpool council. Walton said it is now planning a further legal challenge.
EGi News 26/09/02
