Lewisham shop moves ahead of site redevelopment
Sports Direct have opened a new shop in Lewisham shopping centre in advance of demolition of a former branch at a nearby town centre retail park.
The new store is located inside the shopping centre – which itself will be redeveloped in years to come as plans proceed to build on the retail park on Loampit Vale beside Lewisham station.
It’s full circle for the company as they once had a shop in the shopping centre before departing.
Retail park demolition
The current retail park has been on life support for years as redevelopment plans have been circling. Legal and General secured permission to rebuild the site, then sat on land for many years before selling.
Now another plan has arrived. Whether it moves any quicker than the last plan remains to be seen.
Meanwhile moving into Lewisham shopping centre suggests little will happen on most of that site anytime soon – at least for most of the plot.
Some areas at the periphery of the wider redevelopment site may well move forward – we shall see – but most of it looks like staying for some time to come.
Ultimately a period of stagnation appears likely as business is in limbo. Some will move, some will close as we await to see how some major sites proceed – or don’t.
Many sites here have gone nowhere for many years even before the current issues of the Middle East, oil shortages, higher inflation and higher interest rates. Construction price inflation already looks like rising sharply.
For those of us around for a while aware of the endless delays and glacial progress across many sites even in less tumultuous times, treating anything as a sign of action is a futile endeavour.
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I don’t believe the existing footprint of shops in the current footprint are necessarily going to have to move out, the development could happen around them. Boot are about to open on the old Wilkinson site and move out of the current building which I believe is earmarked to go.
Yep I’ve heard that mentioned but also conflicting information from the landowner. It seems hard to retain the existing core of shops while comprehensive work is undertaken around it. It would appear logical to undertake a staged plan and move shops as it proceeds and then some can move back to the central core under the proposed green space. We shall see! I expect a fair few revisions as detailed plans come in.
SportsDirect is one of only two units still operating in that little retail park. What was once a regular branch of Matalan, is now a clearance centre with a lot of very poor quality offerings. A relative told me that it was going to close in the New Year but so far, it’s still open.
It’s been in line for demolition over the past decade at least. Matalan must have been on short leases constantly renewed for a long time