Plan to inject new life into retail park

Shake-up aimed at attracting new tenants

The owners of a Perth shopping area have come forward with new plans to boost business interest.

Episo Boxes has submitted redesigned proposals for units at St Catherine’s Retail Park, to create five units on the site of one.

The former B&Q outlet, which was recently hit by fire, will be demolished in favour of building the handful of replacements on the same footprint, with no increase in overall floor space.

A planning application for demolition was lodged earlier this month. This revised an approved bid from 2015, increasing the number of units.

Agents for Episo Boxes say the ongoing work to improve the style of buildings, which has been put in place elsewhere in the park, will be installed on the new units, with additional glazing.

A supporting statement for the proposals says: “As it stands the mix of existing tenants generates no desire for pedestrian movement from one end to the other nor from the town centre and as a consequence visits are determined solely by need, that is, the need to visit a particular tenant alone, with most customers arriving and moving internally by car.”

It adds: “The purpose for the proposed regeneration of St. Catherine’s Retail Park is to inject new life into a dated 1980s first generation retail park, generate new interest and ultimately encourage new tenants.”

Previous changes and proposals for shopping units around Perth have seen interest in how these would tie to the city centre, with the aim of supporting connected trade.

The application statement acknowledges this, saying: “It is the view of the developer that the proposed redevelopment of St Catherine’s Retail Park will provide an overall concept that has the potential to raise the status of the site, provide an enhanced link to Perth City Centre, improve the sustainable impact of the retail park by enhancing environmental, social and economic factors and improving the visitor experience.”

It goes on to say: “By increasing the number of units available on the retail park the developer is supporting the social and economic structure of Perth with, increased job opportunities and range of retailers, enhanced links with Perth city centre and by reinforcing Perth as a modern and vibrant retail destination.”

Previous unit changes at the retail park helped attract Greggs and Costa Coffee.

The former B&Q premises in the Fair City’s St Catherine’s Retail Park