Member Article

Peel reveals Partington shopping centre plans

Manchester development giant, The Peel Group, has revealed plans to build a new shopping centre in Partington Village.

Work is expected to start on-site within the next four to six months, with the centre due to take around eight months to complete. Peel had originally expected to start on the project sooner, as planning permission was granted in 2008.

Peel is receiving finance, in the form of a loan from the Greater Manchester Growing Places Fund. Anchoring the project, Tesco and Heron Frozen Foods have taken two of the seven retails units at the centre.

Louise Morrissey, director of land and planning at Peel, said “We are confident that this development, once built, will make an enormous difference to Partington and will result in the creation of a vibrant new community shopping centre with much improved amenities. We have waited a long time to bring this scheme together, with market conditions preventing development until now.

“We have been able to bring this development forward at this time with the help of the Greater Manchester Growing Places Fund, a division of which has provided us with a cash flow loan to facilitate the building of the shopping scheme in what remain difficult economic times.

“Tesco have shown a great commitment to Partington, enabling the whole scheme to proceed with a reliable household brand.”

Five of the remaining seven units will be occupied by a bakers, a bookmakers, a charity shop, a newsagents and a fish and chip shop. Two shops are still available. There is further retail space on the first floor of the centre. One of these spaces had already been taken by a hairdressers. The centre will also boast a market square with facilities for stall-holders, and a 126 space car park.

Mike Blackburn, chairman of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “The Greater Manchester Investment Fund supports projects that drive economic growth and jobs. The development proposal from Peel for a new neighbourhood centre was impressive, and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has invested Growing Places funding from the GMIF.”

The new centre is part of the overall regeneration plans for Partington, which also includes 550 new homes.and the creation of a four-mile recreation circuit surrounding the village,

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .