News
Norwich’s Anglia Square regeneration gets £19m funding boost
17th January 2025Norwich City Council has been granted an additional £19m funding boost from Homes England to regenerate the distressed Anglia Square shopping centre. This comes after the council acquired the shopping centre from Columbia Threadneedle at the end of 2024. Norwich City Council is planning to transform Anglia Square into a vibrant and modern hub and deliver around 1,100 new homes, business opportunities, and jobs. The funding – which now totals £34m – covers costs for acquisition, demolition, remediation, and development. Demolition of the site is expected to begin in the spring, with the council providing existing traders and tenants with business support, including help with relocation to a planned box park near Anglia Square or other alternative premises. Councillor Mike Stonard, leader of Norwich City Council, said: “This is a fantastic start to the New Year. It means thanks to the government we have the funding to crack on and start building the new Anglia Square with hundreds of affordable homes for local people. “Norwich has always been innovative, progressive and has been at the vanguard of change over the years and now we are leading the way in building hundreds of new homes.”
Deals
Oliver Bonas to relocate in York
17th January 2025Oliver Bonas is set to relocate its store in York, with the fashion and homeware retailer moving from 35 Stonegate to the former Boots store 1 King’s Square. The retailer will occupy the 2,164 sq ft ground floor of the building, with Helmsley Group – which agreed the letting – looking to transform the unused upper floors into residential accommodation. Subject to planning approval, the project will help realise Helmsley Group’s aspirations to bring residential space to unused upper floors throughout the city. This is a strategy that also features in the group’s recently-approved masterplan for the redevelopment of the nearby Coney Street, which looks to revitalise the street’s retail and residential offering while reconnecting the high street to the river. Max Reeves, director at Helmsley Group, said: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Oliver Bonas to a new larger store on King’s Square and look eagerly towards developing the upper floors of the building to create new city centre living space. “There are disused upper floors like those at 1 King’s Square across the city and it is our ambition to use York’s historic buildings to their full potential by bringing these floors back into use as much needed city […]
Requirements
Chuck E. Cheese targeting entrance to UK market
6th December 2024American restaurant chain Chuck E. Cheese has laid out its requirements as the brand looks to open its first sites in the UK. The family entertainment concept – which has over 550 locations worldwide – is looking to capitalise on an expanding redemption game market in the UK. The brand looks to combine entertainment with a food and beverage offering, bolstered by a strong brand presence. Chuck E. Cheese’s initial target locations include Glasgow, Leeds, Manchester, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, and Bristol. The operator is looking to open in high footfall locations with a strong family demographic, with a catchment of over 25,000 under 12-year-olds within a 20-minute drive time. Chuck E. Cheese is targeting shopping centres, retail parks, and leisure parks with car park frontage. Ideal locations will be between 10,760 sq ft and 16,145 sq ft in size, preferably with an eaves height of 13.1 feet. Wright Property has been appointed to advise Chuck E. Cheese on its expansion.
Insights
Lucky Seven: retail and leisure occupational trends in 2025
13th January 2025As we head into 2025, despite the hurdles for the retail and leisure industry as it anticipates significant impact on margins from the Budget, there remain plenty of exciting and active retailers that are navigating the evolving retail landscape – we explore the brands to watch this year.
News
Battersea Power Station signs operator for exhibition space
17th January 2025Battersea Power Station has signed NEON as the first tenant for its purpose-built entertainment and cultural exhibition space. The new venue, located next to Battersea Power Station on Circus Road East, will bring NEON’s immersive experiences to London, with the first exhibition soon to be announced. The exhibition space at Battersea Power Station will showcase selected experiences from the NEON’s repertoire of touring engagements, such as Machu Picchu, the Golden Empires of Peru and Jurassic World: The Exhibition. Sam Cotton, head of asset management at Battersea Power Station Development Company, said: “The opening of NEON’s new exhibition space at Battersea Power Station supports our vision to deliver a vibrant centre for arts, culture, entertainment and community engagement. We are excited to see Londoners and visitors from further afield come together to enjoy these globally celebrated experiences and we’re delighted to open this exciting new exhibition space in the year that Wandsworth has been named The London Borough of Culture.” NEON at Battersea Power Station will host two exhibitions per year and will look to attract visitors not only from London and the UK, but from all over the world. Collectively, NEON’s repertoire of global content attracts close to one million […]
