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Liverpool Shopping Park | Edge Lane/Mill Lane | Retail/Leisure/Industrial Units/New Park | £100m

364K views 1K replies 133 participants last post by  Howie_P 
#1 ·
Edge Lane Retail Park

Background information

Edge Lane Retail Park was built in stages from the early 1990's onwards, perhaps reaching the peak of its popularity at the end of that decade. Today it is very tired, with a number of its units unoccupied in preparation for a full re-development. This re-development will see the demolition of every building on the site (excluding McDonald's) and several more buildings in the near vicinity, as the new retail park fully utilises the land available, and expands onto the existing Rathbone Park. The existing light industrial businesses located between the current retail park and Rathbone Park will be re-located to new/re-developed units on the opposite side of Edge Lane. Offering 600,000 sq. ft. of space, the new retail park will overtake the New Mersey Retail Park in Speke (473,000 sq. ft.) as the city's largest retail park. The re-developed retail park will comprise 47 retail units, together with four restaurants and three leisure units. Some units will be double-fronted facing outwards to Edge Lane, and inwards towards the car park. The car park itself will consist of 1,680 spaces split over two levels, plus cycle spaces.

The Plans

From the Planning Explorer -

Application Number - 10F/2235
Site Address - Land bounded by Edge Lane/Milton Road to the west, Crawford Way and Pighue Lane to the South, Binns Road and Rathbone Road to the east. Land also bounded by railway land and Edge lane
Proposal - Mixed Use development comprising retails units/leisure units/restaurants along with associated landscaping services and works
Applicant - Derwent Holdings Ltd

The Area



Original image copyright to Bing Maps. Shown here for information purposes only.

Current Photos

Originally posted by woody. Nothing significant has changed since these were taken.



















[/QUOTE]

Proposed Site Plan

The section to the left is the new extension to the Rathbone Hospital. The bottommost section shows the new light industrial units -



Renders

Originally posted by buggedboy -



















Council Approval

From the Echo -

Planning permission granted for £200m scheme to regenerate Edge Lane Retail Park


THE £200m revamp of one of Liverpool’s biggest retail parks has today been given the green light by the city’s council

Derwent Holdings, which owns Edge Lane retail park and other neighbouring sites, has won approval to create 600,000 sq ft of shops – 40% bigger than at present.

Councillors on Liverpool’s planning committee passed the plans despite last minute objections from Knowsley Council about the impact on other towns like Kirkby and Huyton.
Article continues here - http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/live...nerate-edge-lane-retail-park-100252-27782756/

Government Approval

From Place North West -

Edge Lane retail park approved

Albert Gubay's Derwent Holdings has been given the green light for 890,000 sq ft of commercial and retail space to be built on a main route into Liverpool city centre.

A spokesman from Liverpool City Council confirmed to Place that the Government Office for the North West has approved the £200m Edge Lane Retail Park plans and there will be no need for a public inquiry.
Article continues here - http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/archive/8465-edge-lane-retail-park-approved.html

Latest News

From the Echo -

£200m Edge Lane retail park revamp delayed

THE £200m revamp of one of Liverpools biggest retail parks has been delayed by a year.

Proposals to expand Edge Lane retail park by 40%, creating 600,000 sq ft of shops and 1,500 new jobs, were approved by the government in March.

Work was due to start this summer, but the four-year scheme has been delayed until late 2012 due to the economic downturn.

Developer Derwent Holdings has struggled to sign up enough stores to take new space in the expanded development.

Liverpool council leader Joe Anderson said: A huge scheme like this is like a jigsaw if one component is missing, it does not work.

The issue for them was they needed to secure the input [of tenants].

We have worked in genuine partnership and understand some of the difficulties that they face.

It is disappointing but we are in difficult financial times.
Article continues here - http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/live...e-retail-park-revamp-delayed-100252-29751288/
 
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#204 ·
Everything seems so painfully slow/protracted at Edge Lane RP.Sometimes drive along here after footy.Is it Derwent,Liverpool property market or other reasons? Just curious since it could look so much better along this main route in/out of the city.
 
#205 ·
Could be something to do with the worst global recession in 80 years, couple with the battering retail is getting in general. Derwent don't escape blame either, but at the time they finally decided to pull their finger out, the rug had been well and truly pulled from under them by market conditions. The fact we've had any building work at all is a small victory, in my view. Hopefully things will start to pick up soon, but I'd be pleasantly surprised if this was not still in development in 5 years and I would not consider it to be a failed scheme, even then.
 
#208 ·
#209 ·
Reading a bit further into the planning report reveals the following -

Section 106 Agreement Head of Terms
In order to maximise the regeneration benefits to the local area from the development proposals, the Divisional Manager, Planning proposes that the City Council enter into a Section 106 Legal Agreement with the developer to ensure the following:
Up to £1.25m public realm contribution to be used to improve connectivity and public realm enhancements to Old Swan District Centre and/or Edge Hill District Centre & Kensington Local Centre
a) £250K payable on commencement;
b) An additional sum of £500k shall be payable (provided development has commenced) if an initial phase of demolition including clearance and site hoarding of all redundant buildings on the Skelly’s and Klausnner/World of Leather site is not undertaken within 3 months of a grant of planning permission; with all redundant buildings on the application site demolished and cleared prior to commencement of construction of any retail unit;
c) A further sum of £250k shall be payable if the 4 proposed retail units north of Edge Lane (Halfords) are not substantially complete within 15 months of the grant of planning permission; and
d) A final sum of £250k shall be payable if the 4 proposed leisure/ casino units at the former Skelly site are not substantially complete within 22 months of
the grant of planning permission.
Nice to see the council adding a little pressure to get the worst of the sites at least cleared in a timely manner.
 
#210 ·
Reading a bit further into the planning report reveals the following -

Nice to see the council adding a little pressure to get the worst of the sites at least cleared in a timely manner.
Wow, who knew they had it in them! Hopefully this will encourage them to get moving, if it doesn't I don't know what will.
 
#212 ·
^^

I went past there the other day to see if anything was going on. Other than quite a large number of small plants in pots that had been lined up in the car park (presumably to soften what is now a very concrete site), nothing was going on, so it's good to hear something is now happening.
 
#213 ·
£200m Edge Lane redevelopment plans set to be given go ahead

Major plans to redevelop Edge Lane look set to be given the go ahead later.

The long-awaited £200m scheme will see new retail, industrial and office space lining the key gateway into the city.

The project has been spearheaded by Mayor of Liverpool Joe Anderson - but issues over ownership of some of the land needed for the regeneration has caused delays.

One of the most iconic buildings in the city, the Littlewoods building, is already undergoing significant refurbishment as part of the project, with offices, a hotel and shops planned for the site.

While the revamp of the area is considered to be much needed, two objections have been lodged, one from a resident concerned about the closeness to housing, and the other on behalf of Prince William Pottery, which says the redevelopment would require project leaders Derwent Holdings acquire its premises if the scheme were to go ahead.

The company says no-one has as yet approached it to talk about buying up its buildings and land.

But city planners are been recommended to approve the application, which will also see a number of eyesore buildings including the former Ian Skelly and Carpetworld units demolished.
 
#214 ·
£200m Edge Lane redevelopment plans get go ahead
28 Jan 2014 10:21 Project had been hit by long delays

The £200m Edge Lane redevelopment plans were approved by city planners at a hearing today.

The project will include new businesses, cinema, officers and some new housing.

The long-awaited regeneration of the area has suffered numerous setbacks due in part, agent for the scheme Mark Aylward said, "to a history of conflict between [developer] Derwent and the council".

Initial plans were approved in 2010 but there had been concerns that some of the planning conditions would make the scheme economically unviable through failing to attract businesses to move to the site.

Derwent, owned by Kwik Save founder Albert Gubay, says that the scheme as it now stands will deliver 1,000 new jobs.

But it could be troubled in part by the need to acquire land and buildings currently owned by Prince William Pottery.

The firm said it would not go without a fight and did not believe that CPO (compulsory purchase orders) would be deemed in the public interest.

However, planning committee chair, Cllr John McIntosh, said investment and growth was "desperately needed" and recommended the scheme be approved.

The committee passed the application.


 
#215 ·
The firm said it would not go without a fight and did not believe that CPO (compulsory purchase orders) would be deemed in the public interest.
:eek:hno:

How could CPO's, paving the way for a multi-million pound regeneration of several brownfield sites on the main route into the city, delivering various new facilities and the new jobs that go with them possibly not be in the public interest?

No-one is suggesting they should close their business, just that they move, most likely to the new small business park on Mill Lane, where they will be surrounded by other smaller enterprises, which could actually help them via linked trips and passing trade. Additionally, given there is almost universal support for the sorting out of this part of Edge Lane, I wouldn't have thought it would do much for your business to be seen to be standing in the way of it.

Hopefully a compromise that is acceptable to both parties can be sorted out sooner rather than later, negating the need for CPO's, and yet more time wasting. If not, I suppose if push came to shove, they could always build around their premises in the meantime, unlike the previous similar situations at Edge Lane West, and the Lime Street shops. It'd end up a bit like that office block that stood in the middle of the New Mersey Retail Park for a few years. Not ideal by any stretch, but at least the rest of it could continue.
 
#217 ·
He's probably holding out for more cash. I am not holding my breath on this ....I wonder if Derwent are going to speculatively build because they haven't even got tenants for the small units they've already built. Also I noticed a spate of closures in Speke which is always busy ...so not sure theyre that many out of town retailers cueing up to take space....not sure they can get a supermarket anchor store either.. tesco and Aldi in Old Swan. I hope I am proved wrong but Derwent's track record is not great ...just hope they are forced to demolish the empty units. I drove down Edge Lane today totally depressing......as the major gateway to a city it has got to be more of a priority ... As well as the retail park it would be nice if the city could try and get some speculative building going on at the extension to the Technology Park ...and the cleared housing at the bottom of Edge Lane West should be the number one priority housing site in the city.
 
#222 ·
It's been a little under seven months since the last photo update on this thread, so I thought I'd pop along and see what has changed. The answer is depressingly very little. The few finishing touches that needed to be done, such as soft landscaping the car park, fixing some sections of fencing, and putting hardstanding down on the rear service yard have all been done. However there is absolutely nothing happening on-site (and based on a few times I've passed along Edge Lane now and again, there hasn't been for a few months). There is no sign of the works to convert two of the units for use as a children's play centre, despite them indicating they were keen to open ASAP. It looks like it was completed, and then everyone just walked away.

I always feared that this block could become a white elephant, and that was when a large stand-alone unit (most likely a B&Q Warehouse), was to be built alongside. Now that isn't happening, I really can't any reason why you'd opt for one of these units, unless your business is not at all reliant on a good level of footfall, which doesn't leave many options. The fact they have now applied 'To Let' signs to all four units, rather than just two like it was for some time, doesn't inspire confidence either, but I hope I'm wrong, and in the meantime, the site is at least tidy now.

Elsewhere, all of the other sites along Edge Lane remain in the same untouched, derelict state they have been for years. The only sign of any work at all is the appearance of some structural steelwork which appears to have been removed from inside some of the units, and placed in the former Homebase service yard. I don't know why they are holding onto it, along with the old steel from the skeleton that was on the now redeveloped site, and even the steel totem sign that used to stand on the Homebase side of the site. Anyway, onto some pictures -

Planting and gravel has been completed on the car park -




New fencing and gates, but not much else -


Concreted rear service yard -


Steelwork mounting up in the former Homebase service yard -
 
#225 ·
Occasionally drive past the area along Edge Lane after footy.I can't believe how disappointing the whole wider "retail park" looks (at least from the road).Elsewhere-these sort of developments,while hardly aesthetic,at least seem to thrive.For some reason/s it all looks so run down/depressing and for so long now!A poor advert for the city on an improved major thoroughfare.
 
#226 ·
All from the Planning Explorer -

Application Number - 14A/1069
Site Address - Halfords 491 Edge Lane Liverpool L13 1AA
Proposal - To display 2 hoarding signs, 1 other sign to identify re-development of the site.
Applicant - Derwent Construction Limited
From here - http://northgate.liverpool.gov.uk/P...tion Details&PUBLIC=Y&XMLSIDE=&DAURI=PLANNING

Application Number - 14PM/1067
Site Address - Montrose Way Liverpool L13 1EW
Proposal - To demolish 4 former warehouses.
Applicant - Derwent Construction Limited
From here - http://northgate.liverpool.gov.uk/P...tion Details&PUBLIC=Y&XMLSIDE=&DAURI=PLANNING

Application Number - 14PM/1066
Site Address - Floors To Go 450 Edge Lane Liverpool L13 1AD
Proposal - To demolish portal frame building.
Applicant - Derwent Construction Limited
From here - http://northgate.liverpool.gov.uk/P...tion Details&PUBLIC=Y&XMLSIDE=&DAURI=PLANNING

Application Number - 14PM/1068
Site Address - Montrose Way Liverpool L13 1EW
Proposal - To demolish unit.
Applicant - Derwent Construction Limited
From here - http://northgate.liverpool.gov.uk/P...tion Details&PUBLIC=Y&XMLSIDE=&DAURI=PLANNING

With regard to the Montrose Way applications, I'm assuming they relate to the former Fatty Arbuckle's unit, former Homebase unit, and the others on that side, even though there's technically seven units on that side, not five as covered by the applications.
 
#227 ·
From the Planning Explorer -
Application Number - 14PM/1070
Site Address - Former Ian Skelly Site including former Carpetright and Blockbuster Unit Edge Lane Drive Liverpool L13
Proposal - To demolish structures on Former Ian Skelly site, including Carpetright and Blockbuster unit.
Applicant - Derwent Construction Limited
From here - http://northgate.liverpool.gov.uk/P...tion Details&PUBLIC=Y&XMLSIDE=&DAURI=PLANNING

Not before time. I do think there is a certain irony in Derwent actually having to ask permission to demolish a building that is universally hated. I know things have to be seen to be done properly, but can you really see anyone objecting?
 
#228 ·
The related documents are now available for the above applications, revealing more information -

(Demolition Zone 1 is the Skelly's site)

Demolition Zone 2
- Former Klaussner building
- Anticipated to be on-site July 2014
- Anticipated completion - 4 weeks

Demolition Zone 3
- Former Fatty Arbuckles building
- Anticipated to be on-site July 2014
- Anticipated completion - 4 weeks

Demolition Zone 4
- Block including former JJB Sports, Harveys, and Land of Leather
- Anticipated to be on-site July 2014
- Anticipated completion - 14 weeks

Demolition Zone 5
- Former Floors-2-Go building
- Anticipated to be on-site July 2014
- Anticipated completion - 14 weeks

There is no mention of the former Homebase building.

Also, full-height graphical respresentations of the finished development are to be added to the front elevation of the former MFI unit, hiding the blockwork which can currently be seen. In addition a 6 metre tall sign, with a 5m x 3m graphical respresentation will be added in front of the former Floors-2-Go building.
 
#229 · (Edited)
The related documents are now available for the above application, revealing some extra details -

(Demolition Zones 2-5 are further down Edge Lane)

Demolition Zone 1
- Former Skelly's and Carpet World units
- Anticipated to be on-site May 2014 (We might be slipping here, but it must be getting close)
- Anticipated completion - 12 weeks

Both the former Skelly's and former Carpet World buildings will be demolished, while the former Blockbuster unit will be used as a site office, soft stripped, and left, pending further instructions from Derwent on its future.

In addition a 6 metre tall sign, with a 5m x 3m graphical respresentation of the finished development will be added in front of the former Skellys building.

Based on this site plan, and the location of the former Blockbuster unit, it would be possible to re-purpose it for another user without causing much of an issue within the new development.


Copyright to the copyright holder. Shown here for informational purposes only.
 
#230 ·
I'm genuinely excited just to see the back of these buildings, that Skelly site has been an eyesore for decades, just seeing it gone will make me happy.

Derwent moves ahead with Edge Lane demolitions

DERWENT Holdings is seeking permission to demolish a number of industrial units off Edge Lane in what could be a pre-cursor to the next stage of the development at its long-awaited £200m Edge Lane retail park.

The Isle of Man-based group, owned by Kwik Save founder Albert Gubay, first won approval for 800,000 sq ft of commercial, retail and leisure units in 2010.

But progress stalled and Derwent has since revised its plans to help attract occupiers. So far it has built four units covering 21,000 sq ft.

Plans have been lodged with Liverpool City Council to demolish the Klaussner, Ian Skelly, Carpetright, Blockbuster, and Floors to Go buildings as well as four warehouses on Montrose Way.

The current plans, designed by Manchester-based AEW Architects, include a leisure and restaurant development on 147,000 sq ft of land originally earmarked for an extension of Rathbone Hospital.

The former Robinson Willey gas appliances site is to be developed as a park and business units, and the former Crossfield Garages are to be upgraded into four retail units. The main retail park is to be scaled back from 46 to 30 retail units, plus restaurants and parking.

The planning agent on the scheme is Mark Aylward at Aylward Town Planning. He was unavailable for comment.
 
#231 ·
Do you think the council are likely to attach any conditions to this to ensure construction work starts within a certain time frame after demolition? Obviously having derelict buildings looks bad but having vast swathes of one of the cities busiest through fares totally empty for an extended period is only marginally better.
 
#233 ·
^^

Up to £1.25m public realm contribution to be used to improve connectivity and public realm enhancements to Old Swan District Centre and/or Edge Hill District Centre & Kensington Local Centre
a) £250K payable on commencement;
b) An additional sum of £500k shall be payable (provided development has commenced) if an initial phase of demolition including clearance and site hoarding of all redundant buildings on the Skelly’s and Klausnner/World of Leather site is not undertaken within 3 months of a grant of planning permission; with all redundant buildings on the application site demolished and cleared prior to commencement of construction of any retail unit;
c) A further sum of £250k shall be payable if the 4 proposed retail units north of Edge Lane (Halfords) are not substantially complete within 15 months of the grant of planning permission; and
d) A final sum of £250k shall be payable if the 4 proposed leisure/ casino units at the former Skelly site are not substantially complete within 22 months of
the grant of planning permission.
I believe the clock did not start ticking until the Secretary of State made a decision on whether to call it in or not, so 3 months may have passed since the grant of planning permission, but that doesn't mean they've missed the deadline.
 
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