338 FLATS PLAN FOR DEBENHAMS IN HIGHCROSS
SHOPPING CENTRE’S OWNER IN RADICAL BID TO REVAMP HUGE STORE
THE former Debenhams department store in the Highcross shopping centre could be turned into hundreds of flats, writes Adrian Troughton.
Hammerson, the owner and manager of the city centre complex, has announced a masterplan to turn part of the huge store into 338 flats for rent, while also creating new, more flexible retail units facing onto the shopping centre. There will be a landscaped courtyard and a rooftop terrace for residents.
Mark Bourgeois, of Hammerson, said, “Hammerson is a long-term stakeholder in Leicester and we are committed to investing in the city centre to ensure it is resilient to the structural shift in retail and consumer shopping habits.”
THE owners of Highcross have unveiled a masterplan to build 338 flats on the site of the former Debenhams store.
Hammerson, owner and manager of the city centre shopping complex, has announced plans to create flats for rent as well as new shops in the retail mecca.
They want to build 199 one-bedroomed, 118 two-bedroomed and 21 three-bedroomed apartments on the site.
The plans are for 338 apartments for rent with 4,400 sq ft of shared residential amenity space, 3,700 sq ft commercial space at ground floor, five wheelchair accessible car parking spaces and 502 cycle spaces.
There will be a landscaped courtyard and a rooftop terrace for residents.
East Bond Street will have widened footpaths and new tree planting with views into the private, communal courtyard at the centre of the development.
The courtyard will be a green space with trees, mixed planting and seating.
The company has launched a virtual consultation on its plans to redevelop the closed-down department shop.
A Hammerson spokesperson said: “The vision for the site is to bring forward a high-quality, residential-led development which will add to the vibrancy of the local area and complement the retail offer.
“On completion, the scheme will provide new rental homes and improved public realm for the city alongside bespoke resident amenities including lounges, roof terraces and co-working space.”
Alongside new homes, Hammerson is also planning to transform part of the former Debenhams at Highcross into new, more flexible retail units, facing onto the shopping centre.
“This new space will respond to the changing needs of retailers and ensure Highcross remains an engaging destination for visitors,” said a spokesman.
In addition to supporting up to 800 jobs on site and in the supply chain during the construction phase, Hammerson is working with private rented sector specialist Packaged Living on plans to minimise carbon emissions for the scheme and to ensure it is resilient to climate risk.
In 2019, a major reconfiguration of the former House of Fraser outlet unit at Highcross was completed allowing for new brands to take space in target categories, including Zara, JD Sports and Treetop Adventure Golf.
Mark Bourgeois, managing director UK and Ireland at Hammerson, said: “Hammerson is a long-term stakeholder in Leicester and we are committed to investing in the city centre to ensure it is resilient to the structural shift in retail and consumer shopping habits.
“This exciting project will meet demand for rented accommodation in Leicester city centre and ensure Highcross remains an exciting destination for visitors, while supporting local businesses and boosting footfall.
“We are still at an early stage with the plans and look forward to speaking with the local community and business owners throughout the virtual consultation process, before submitting an application next year.”
Mark Woodrow, joint managing director at Packaged Living, said: “We are delighted to be working with Hammerson and share their vision for a vibrant mixed use community in an excellent city centre location.
“The combination of Hammerson’s vision and Packaged Living’s experience in delivering thousands of build to rent homes provides a strong basis for a successful relationship.”
Due to the ongoing covid crisis, the public consultation will be held online between now and Friday, December 18 at:
The project team will also be holding a virtual residents’ meeting, with a Q&A session, on Thursday, December 17 at 6pm. Interest for this session can be registered via the above website.
LEICESTER City Council is the first local authority in the country to be given access to this data by Public Health England in what could be a significant breakthrough in the city’s bid to prevent the transmission of the virus.
The pilot scheme is expected to demonstrate that the most effective way to trace hard-to-reach people who test positive – and stop them from spreading the virus – is to use local teams equipped with local knowledge.
Leicester’s tracing team manager Edd Quick said: “We face the same challenges as the national track and trace teams, but we’re a little bit better placed to tackle the local cases.
“The number that appears on
people’s phones when we call is a local number, and we feel this is more likely to be answered than an 0300 number that the national team need to use, but which is also favoured by unsolicited cold callers.
“Being able to visit people at their address is an important advantage and allows us to get hold of those who aren’t able to respond remotely.
“There are, of course, key bits of information we need to get from people when we contact them, but the team aren’t stuck to a rigid script, and we have a diverse range of language skills on board, as well as excellent support from the council’s community languages team.”