Hammerson submits plans for Southampton flats and hotel

Hammerson has submitted a planning application for its leisure-led Watermark WestQuay development in Southampton city centre. The £150m scheme, designed by Foreign Office Architects, comprises 258,340 sq ft of shops, 200 flats, a multiplex cinema, a 37,600 sq ft public square, cafes and restaurants and a 150-room hotel. It will occupy the former Pirelli factory site, next to the existing WestQuay Shopping Centre.   Andrew Hilston, project director for Hammerson, said “The proposals for Watermark WestQuay will create a renewed focus for the currently underutilised historic walls with the public plaza providing a revitalised public realm for the city.”    Last month, Southampton council unveiled a programme of development projects in the city in a bid to bolster confidence, telling the development industry that the city was “very much open for business.” helen.roxburgh@rbi.co.uk