British Land appoints Lancaster team
British Land has hired masterplanner Chapman Taylor and historic building specialist Richard Griffiths Architects as part of a new project team to work up fresh plans for Canal Corridor North in Lancaster city centre.
The development team in full is as follows:
- Development manager: Centros
- Masterplanner and lead architect: Chapman Taylor
- Historic buildings architect: Richard Griffiths Architects
- Planning consultant: GL Hearn
- Transport consultant: Mayer Brown
- Structural engineer and environmental consultant: Waterman Group
- Quantity Surveyor: Gleeds
- Letting agent: Jones Lang LaSalle
- Valuation surveyor: Hitchcock Wright
- Lawyer: Lawrence Graham
British Land bought the site in November 2012 and retained Centros, which previously owned part of the site, to manage the development through the planning and construction processes.
The new owner has started speaking to local stakeholders and will post a leaflet to every home and business in the Lancaster City Council area next week to introduce itself.
The developer will also hold an open day on Tuesday 14 May when the public can meet members of the British Land team and discuss ideas for the development in a mobile exhibition trailer to be parked in Lancaster's Market Square.
Richard Wise, head of UK retail asset management and development at British Land, said: "Our aim is to deliver a scheme that complements the site's historic setting and we look forward to creating a retail and leisure destination to serve local people and attract significant numbers of visitors to the city."
Wise said the British Land development team has already started to engage with both English Heritage and key local stakeholders such as the two theatres.
He said conceptual ideas for the development will be ready before the end of the summer and, depending upon how soon planning permission can be secured, construction could start as early as 2015 and the development completed in 2017.
