Legal & General Property has received consent on a revised planning application at the Arndale Centre in Eastbourne, paving the way for a £85m retail and leisure extension to start on site in early 2015.
Approval was granted by Eastbourne borough council in 2012 for a £70m extension to the centre, creating an extra 175,000 sq ft of retail space, over 22 new ground- and first-floor units, together with further parking and a new pedestrian access on to Terminus Road.
A revised application, which included seven restaurants and a cinema, was submitted in December 2013 and was approved by the planning committee this week. The additions to the scheme will raise LGP’s total investment to £85m.
The extension is due to start on site in early 2015 and reach practical completion by the end of 2016. It is expected to create 700 full-time jobs and provide a significant boost to the local economy.
The existing scheme is anchored by Marks & Spencer, BHS, Sainsbury’s, River Island and Primark. H&M has taken a 23,000 sq ft pre-let on the extension, acting as its first anchor.
Legal & general head of retail development Simon Russian said: “This exciting extension will significantly enhance the scheme’s offer, attracting visitors from across the South of England and acting as an important catalyst for Eastbourne’s wider regeneration.”
