What does re-generation in a Town Centre look like?
Walkden Town Centre is set for a major shake-up as a £15 million regeneration project aims to bring fresh life back to the heart of the community.
Regeneration in town centres is becoming more of a discussed topic in recent years. With towns in Greater Manchester facing regeneration after government grants, those that have been suffering in recent years will finally have some much needed attention.
Walkden, a town in Salford, Greater Manchester is one of the places that have been selected for refurbishment.
The Derwent Group are the ones responsible for submitting the plans for Walkden Town Centre, with the aim of transforming the retail park and making it more pedestrian friendly.
The £15 million scheme will see the demolition of approximately 180,000 sq ft of the current retail space within Egerton Walk and Victoria Square, which are outdated and no longer meet retailer expectations.
A new entrance way will be made in this space and open up 7500sq ft of new and modern retail units for people to enjoy. There will also be a new public greenspace area on the front of the retail units providing safer access to the shopping centre and more areas for pedestrians to socialize. New wooden benches and planters will be installed to finish off the area.
Relocation of all existing tenants in retail units that are being removed will be implemented before any work takes place.
Walkden Town Centre has been under the ownership of The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation for more than 30 years during which time it has invested more than £66 million in both the Centre and Walkden Retail Park. This latest wave of investment will significantly enhance the existing offering of the Town Centre providing a more sustainable and efficient retail configuration in a more modern and attractive environment.
Scott Hall of The Derwent Group states: “The feedback from our recent public consultation was both positive and constructive and clearly demonstrated how important Walkden Town Centre is to the local community. By creating an appealing and sustainable retail environment, we will be able to offer a more efficient and economical operational solution for the Centre’s retailers, helping to attract new names which will ultimately, have a significant positive impact on the area. We are already exploring options with a variety of exciting new potential operators who are looking to move into the Centre.”
The Derwent Group have appointed City Build to be the constructors for this transformation. Their build will see 180,000 sq ft of the shopping complex knocked down, a new façade erected, and an additional 49,000 sq ft of refurbed space delivered.
Scott Hall, asset manager at Derwent Estates said that “City Build did an outstanding job during the first phase of works, and this appointment reflects both the quality of the delivery as well as their deep-rooted connection to the local area.
“This is a key project for Walkden, and we remain fully committed to investing in its long-term growth and transformation. We’re excited to continue working with City Build to bring the next chapter of this important regeneration to life.”
This is what a regeneration in a town looks like. Where companies invest money into local towns to secure their future.
To find out more about the Walkden redevelopment, you can visit the City Build Website.