Next to anchor retail scheme at Thorpe Park, Leeds
Next has agreed a deal to occupy a store that will comprise a gross internal area of 18,000 sq ft at Thorpe Park Leeds, the established business park which is set for further development into a major strategic mixed use scheme.
The popular high street operator is to anchor the retail element of the new 300,000 sq ft shopping and leisure park at Thorpe Park Leeds.
Thorpe Park Developments Limited, a joint venture between Scarborough Group International and Legal & General Capital, is already progressing works on site to deliver phase two comprising over 1.3 million sq ft of mixed use accommodation.
Scarborough recently announced a deal with Redrow to sell a part of the site for 300 new homes and is progressing the speculative delivery of a 31,650 sq ft Grade A office building, the first of 940,000 sq ft planned for the site.
Planning permission was granted last month for a new 60,000 sq ft multi-screen cinema in phase two which also includes 140 acres of parkland and sports facilities. Thorpe Park Developments Ltd has confirmed that detailed discussions are ongoing with a number of other major operators to fulfil the retail and leisure provision well in advance of development.
Mark Jackson, Consultant for Scarborough Group International said, “The deal with Next is a major milestone for Thorpe Park Leeds which until now has remained a successful yet traditional business park. Radical plans for phase two will change all of that, transforming Thorpe Park Leeds into a true mixed use destination, delivering on site amenities for an anticipated 13,500 working population at the park as well as the surrounding communities.”
A Next Spokesperson said, “Thorpe Park Leeds is a great location for Next with its dense population catchment and position on the strategic road network. We can see that it is already a vibrant environment that will be enhanced further with the extension of the business park, the new shops and restaurants, new homes and public space. We are very pleased to be involved in such an important project for the City of Leeds, and look forward to delivering our new store in this prominent location.”
Thorpe Park Leeds is already a well-established 800,000 sq ft business park with over 60 occupiers including IBM, National Grid, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Atkins, BAM and United Utilities.
Scarborough Group International has worked closely with Leeds City Council to develop the new plans for Thorpe Park Leeds and the critical infrastructure that it will deliver for east Leeds. In August 2015 Legal & General Capital committed to invest £162 million into the project and became a 50:50 partner to fund future development works.
Phase two at Thorpe Park Leeds includes delivery of the first section of the ‘East Leeds Orbital Road’, a key piece of infrastructure connecting north and east Leeds to Junction 46 of the M1. This road will unlock land for the construction of up to 7,000 new homes in the East Leeds area, land that is either already allocated in the Local Plan or which is ‘brownfield’.
4 APRIL 2016