20% more housing, more smaller shops, more public space and lower buildings revealed as part of revised plans for Canal Corridor site

Centros, the developer of the proposed extension of Lancaster city centre, revealed its revised plans for the site this week.

The new plans have been changed in response to consultation following the submission of the first application last year. Numerous changes have been made including and the addition of nearly 20% more homes in the scheme.

David Lewis, associate director of Centros, said: “Following our first application and our public exhibition last July, we’ve had a great deal of feedback from a variety of sources including the national watchdog, English Heritage. We’ve now taken all of that feedback into account and revised the plans in a number of ways. One of the main changes is that we’ve lowered the heights of many of the buildings across the whole development and we’ve also increased the amount of public space.

“Despite English Heritage’s dislike of the bridge over Stonewell, we’ve kept it as it is an essential element for the full integration of the development with the existing city centre. However, we have cut back the buildings either side of the bridge to enhance the public realm at Stonewell.”

The main changes to the plans include:

• relocation and reduction in size of the Debenhams department store
• re-orientation and enlargement of the central square
• residential-only use for the block on the corner of St Leonard gate and Alfred Street
• an increase in the number of new homes from 150 up to 179
• reinstatement of pedestrianised Edward Street to its existing alignment
• reduction of the total comparison goods retail space, but with more smaller shops suitable for local retailers
• an increase in the size of the public park between the canal and Alfred Street
• re-organisation of the multi-level car park and provision of more active frontages
• enlargement of the square next to the Grand Theatre
• removal of the access roundabout on St Leonard Gate
• improvements to the junction of Alfred Street with St Leonard gate
• reduction in height of town houses on Alfred Street to match the existing houses
• heights stepped down on Moor Lane residential block
• lowering of the building heights along the canalside
• potential provision of a city centre food store
• a realignment of the central street

Centros, with its consultants, is now drawing up a new planning application, which it expects to submit in June this year. As before, full transport, retail and environmental assessments are being prepared and all the documents will be made available to view at the council’s planning office in Palatine Hall on Dalton Square once the application is made.

David Lewis added: “The extension of Lancaster’s city centre is essential if the city is not to lose out to the imminent expansion of shopping in Preston and other towns in the northwest. We have listened very carefully to all of the consultation feedback since we started this process in December 2005. As a result, the scheme has evolved and improved considerably.”

If the plans are approved later this year, then the anticipated completion and opening of the development will be in 2012.