A major part of Plymouth city centre is set to transformed into a shopping hub with new retail outlets contained inside stand-alone “pavilions” amid newly planted trees and gardens.
Plymouth City Council has just approved plans it has drawn up with British Land Company Plc, which owns a huge slice of central Plymouth, to revamp the shopping epicentre and battle the onslaught of the high street downturn.
The idea is to transform the area between the British Land-owned Drake Circus Shopping Centre mall and the new £53million Drake Circus The Barcode cinema and leisure development, due to open on October 21, 2019, and also a British Land project.
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Work will now start on a refurbishment of Old Town Street and the upper end of New George Street with the public realm altered to make space for new shopping “pavilions”, stand-alone shopping kiosks which are aimed at attracting new retailers to the city.
There will also be newly installed seating, trees planted and improved public realm to give pedestrians priority and clear away old street clutter to encourage “the world’s biggest retail brands” to move to Plymouth.
British Land also owns a massive chunk of the city centre including the blocks which house the House of Fraser and Debenhams department stores.
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Long-term it wants to carry out an extensive revamp of Norwich Union House, which would mean the relocation of trainer store Size?, Vape Shop, Fone World, Costa, burger bar Hubbox, Nando’s, Subway, jeweller H Samuel, Warrens Bakery, Londis, and bed specialist Dreams.
These would have to move out at least temporarily, but the idea is to put in new glass frontages that extend out under the building’s canopy and have more shops built in the rear service area, so new retailers are attracted.
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The local authority will carry out the public space improvements as part of its Better Places programme, while British Land will improve and expand the retail offer in Norwich Union House and provide the street pavilions.
More trees and gardens will be planted to “make the most of Plymouth’s 20th century modernist architecture”, the council said.
And spaces will be created to encourage small events and “places to linger” or meet, and new play space for children.
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It is also hoped to create a better connection between the mall and The Barcode and the rest of the city centre, particularly as city centre chiefs are expecting an influx of visitors for the Mayflower 400 commemorations in 2020.
Cllr Mark Lowry, Cabinet member for finance and city centre champion, said: “We’re on the cusp of massive change in the heart of Plymouth.
“We’re now counting down the weeks until these projects (The Box and The Barcode) open and few cities will be able to offer visitors and residents so much in one place.
“These projects are game changers, we need to make sure that people who come to the city centre to enjoy these new attractions are impressed with what they see at all points of their day. Making sure the spaces around these key new developments are attractive, modern and look good, is vital.”
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David Pollock, head of major retail developments at British Land, said: “We are pleased to be working with Plymouth City Council on improving this key public space and repositioning parts of the retail offer around Drake Circus Shopping Centre and the new The Barcode leisure complex. “The work will serve to enhance both the existing offer and the new development which is due to open to the public in a matter of weeks.”
Steve Hughes, chief executive of the Plymouth City Centre Company, said: “This is more good news for the city centre at a very tough time for the high street.
“We believe the huge level of investment in the city centre will attract more visitors which will benefit our existing businesses and attract new ones.”