Since the late 1980s, Lincoln’s Lindongate shopping centre plan east of the city centre has been dogged by misfortune. Wates Group was the first to lodge a planning application many years ago, but approval took four years, by which time a rival scheme was under way and recession had hit.
The most recent development partner to progress the Lincolnshire Co-operative scheme, Modus Ventures, went into administration in 2009.
But last month the council granted a resolution to give outline consent, subject to some fairly standard developer contributions being agreed. So can Lindongate finally become reality?
“We have lost a year with the demise of Modus,” says the owner’s agent, Peter Banks, consultant with local surveyor Banks Long & Co. “But Lincolnshire Co-operative is a relatively sophisticated developer and can deal with the new bus station and off-site car parking.”
He adds: “Development cannot commence until the bus station has been moved. We are looking to appoint a development partner within six months.”
If a partner is appointed in that period, the £100m Lindongate development could be delivered as soon as 2015.
The level of affordable housing must be agreed, some off-site payments made to the council and local employment guaranteed during construction. Tellingly, the council’s public relations machine is treating approval as a fait accompli.
Banks says there are eight potential partners that the Co-op “can work with comfortably”, but will not say who they are. However, it is not unreasonable to think a starting point would be with the original shortlisted runners-up, which are believed to include Simons Group, Richardson Developments and ING.
The city centre suffers from poor public transport and general connectivity services, and has limited car parking. Lindongate is touted in the council’s city centre masterplan as a key element to tackle these problems.
Although English Heritage expressed concern about the scale of some of the buildings, particularly the proposed department store, there is reputed to be widespread support for the scheme, including from Capital & Regional, owner of the nearby Waterside Centre.
“This offers a chance, right in the heart of the city centre, to increase the stock of good-quality shops and accommodate larger, particularly fashion retailers,” says Mike Roberts, head of economic sustainability at Lincoln city council. It will also serve as an extension of the high-street prime pitch and tie in well with the Waterside Shopping Centre, he says.
But there is recognition that some businesses will be displaced into Lindongate because of the city centre’s lack of well-configured space. Lincoln is under-shopped because of this and its poor public transport infrastructure. The new transport interchange is seen as vital to help attract retailers.
“There is a need for new retail space in Lincoln,” says Roberts. “Our research shows levels of vacant units are quite low compared with the national average, and we attract 3m day visitors per year.”
Lindongate facts and figures
Landowners: Lincolnshire Co-operative and Lincoln council
Size: 354,000 sq ft shopping centre
Commercial elements: 218,000 sq ft of retail, a 100,000 sq ft department store and 36,000 sq ft of restaurants
Architect: Lyons Sleeman Hoare
Plans also include: Demolishing the bus station, Oxford Hall hotel and some shops on Sincil and Norman Streets
Teal Park
St Modwen has started development of Siemens’ £25m gas turbine facility at Taylor Lindsey’s Teal Park on the A46. North Kesteven district council gave outline planning consent for 1.3m sq ft of office, industrial and distribution space, as well as leisure and showroom uses at the 87-acre site in 2011.
Since Siemens decided to locate into 85,000 sq ft there, Teal Park’s growth prospects have leapt. Savills’ Victor Ktori, says: “Siemens’ move will help stamp activity further at Teal Park.”
