St Modwen progresses £50m development
BIRMINGHAM-based developer St Modwen has unlocked the potential of a £50m redevelopment scheme in Staffordshire.
St Modwen (SMP) has purchased a factory in Hednesford from automotive re-manufacturer ATP Industries Group, in a deal which should finally allow the town’s long-awaited Gateway scheme to progress.
The factory on Victoria Street will be demolished to clear the way for future development when ATP Industries Group relocates to an alternative site. Following the demolition programme, a new 80,000 sq ft foodstore will be constructed on the Victoria Street phase of the Gateway scheme, subject to planning approval.
The Hednesford Gateway scheme comprises two sites, representing two distinct phases – Victoria Street and Rugeley Road. St Modwen’s proposals for the project include a total of 48,000 sq ft of non-food retail space, a 17,500 sq ft discount foodstore, new community facilities and a new 648 space car park. The scheme will also see St Modwen relocate the existing Hollywood Bingo Club and Drill Hall on Victoria Street to new purpose-built premises.
St Modwen has also signed a development agreement with Cannock Chase Council which gives the developer and the local authority control over one of the most significant regeneration projects in the town’s history.
Mark Watkins, development surveyor for St Modwen, said: “When ATP Industries Group identifies a new site and relocates its operations, we will commence demolition and ground clearing works, with construction of the new foodstore set to get under way as soon as possible after planning permission has been secured.”
The developer last year agreed a deal with a national supermarket group to operate the new store, which will become the anchor for the Gateway scheme.
“Working closely with Cannock Chase Council and other local stakeholders, St Modwen is committed to securing a prosperous future for this area of the town, creating the right conditions for growth and assisting in the creation of new jobs,” he added.
Alan Smart, chairman and chief executive of ATP Industries, said the company would now be seeking new premises relatively close to its current base as it wished to retain its skilled workforce.
Cannock Chase Council has been working with St Modwen as its regeneration partner for the Gateway scheme for a number of years.
Council leader Cllr Neil Stanley said the deal was complex but offered the best for the people of Hednesford.
“In the current economic climate it is incredibly important to find ways of unlocking the development potential of sites in order to move regeneration forward.
“St Modwen has achieved this with this strategic acquisition, and we are hopeful that this latest deal will finally allow the new shopping schemes to be delivered, providing better facilities for local people and visitors, and acting as a catalyst for further inward investment for the town,” he said.
