(Updated 18/2/09): Local development campaign group It’s Our City has urged caution over to reports that the future of the £150 million Canal Corridor development for Lancaster proposed by developers Centros may be in doubt (see news story)
“The headline in last week’s Lancaster Guardian posed the question, ‘Is £150m development going to be scrapped?'” group spokesperson Emilie Secker notes. “… The only answer to the Guardian‘s question at this stage is — maybe.”
“Given the current economic climate and the outlook for retail in general it is conceivable that Centros may abandon the scheme altogether,” she continues. “Centros have in fact put plans for a similar scheme in Portsmouth on hold, claiming that they will have to redesign that scheme in light of the current economic climate. The reality is that the Portsmouth scheme was designed to accommodate 80 shops and only three retailers had signed up for space in the new development.”
Even where Centros developments are still going ahead, original plans for the scheme and the reality of what is being built seem to have diverged.
“In Bury, Centros are already building a new shopping centre, and as with the Lancaster scheme they had promised a seamless link between the new shops and the old town centre.” (In Lancaster a ‘bridge link’ is promised to join St Nicolas Arcade to the new development. This is why much of Stonewell will be demolished under the proposals – see the official Castle View web site for details). “But a planned five metre wide link between the new and old shops has been reduced to a proposal to simply repave an existing two metre wide alleyway instead.
“This, according to Centros, is necessary as a result of the current economic climate.
“This does not bode well for the Lancaster scheme,” feels Emilie, “and says something about the value of the commitments and promises Centros makes.”
“It is possible that Centros will pull out of the Lancaster scheme,” she continues, although the company is adamant that this is not the case, as the Guardian reported. “However, their refusal to confirm their appearance at the public inquiry may equally well be a tactic on the part of their professional propagandists to lull those who oppose the scheme into a false sense of hope.
“Its Our City urges all those who oppose the scheme to assume that the public inquiry will go ahead with or without Centros and to write letters now to the Planning Inspectorate to register their opposition to the scheme. For information on how to do this contact us at admin@itsourcity.org.uk.”
While Centros have yet to confirm their appearance, Lancaster City Council have set aside an initial £100,000 of council tax-payers’ money to present their case for the scheme at the public inquiry.
“In these hard economic times, when the council is considering cuts in its own budget, which will likely include staff redundancies and cuts in services, it is a disgrace that they seem prepared to spend public money on defending a scheme in which the developer itself appears to have lost interest,” says Emilie. “The city council should state now that if Centros do not appear at the public inquiry then they won’t waste public money on fighting the case for them.”
18/2/09: In a brief statement, Centros told virtual-lancaster that they had no comment to make at this stage on recent developments. “We will make a statement about the inquiry at the appropriate time,” said Centros spokesperson Steve Bryson.
• Any correspondence concerning the Canal Corridor application should be sent to the Planning Inspectorate at:- The Planning Inspectorate PINS SAC(B)Room 3/17, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Temple Quay, Bristol, BS1 6PN. Their telephone number is 0117 372 8918 and fax 0117 372 8181.
Links
• It’s Our City Campaign Site
• Centros’ Castle View Development Site
• Council Regeneration Strategy documents on the council web site (PDF files)