GL Hearn’s Bath team has secured planning permission for Legal & General Property (LGP) for a mixed-use regeneration scheme in Trowbridge which is now under construction, with opening planned in October 2013.
Led by Planning Director Mike Beese, and Planning Associate Director Alban Henderson, the design team developed proposals for the St Stephens Place Leisure Park, which included a seven-screen digital cinema, operated by Odeon, and an 80-bed Premier Inn hotel, as well as provision for seven family restaurants, cafes and bars.
Following overwhelming public support for the scheme, during the consultation phase, Wiltshire Council Western Area Planning Committee unanimously voted to grant planning permission for the scheme.
Situated on the circa 1.25 ha former Tesco store site at St Stephens Place, the development will see hundreds of jobs created during the construction phase and around 200 jobs when the scheme is operational.
Commenting on the success, Mike Beese said: “The GL Hearn planning team in Bath advised LGP through the various stages including providing initial strategic planning advice, handling the pre-application phase, and ensuring that the extensive range of submitted planning application documents had addressed all issues, which allowed Wiltshire Council to grant planning permission at the first available Committee.’
‘This was critical because of a competing scheme, on the Bowyers site in Trowbridge, which included a digital cinema for Cineworld and a Morrison store. The Bowyers site application was submitted first but determination was delayed and this was refused some three months after the LGP permission had been granted’
“The LGP scheme will create a cultural and entertainment hub in the town centre, and will provide a boost to Trowbridge’s regeneration aspirations by acting as a catalyst for further investment.”
Tim Russell, Senior Asset Manager at Legal & General Property, commenting on the Wiltshire Council decision said: “This makes way for a much needed and long awaited cinema-anchored leisure scheme that we feel best serves the demands of the County Town of Wiltshire and its surrounding catchment area.
“Furthermore, we are very excited that following this approval, we can now bring forward a development that will not only regenerate the southern part of the town centre, but help make Trowbridge an exciting destination for Wiltshire residents.”