Downtown Grantham Designer Outlet reaches next milestone
Plans for a new £125m designer outlet centre in Grantham are set to rapidly progress following a South Kesteven District Council (SKDC) Planning Committee meeting.
On 9th September 2021, Committee Members approved updated planning application documents for the Downtown Grantham Designer Outlet development. The updates were required following the adoption of the Council’s Local Plan last year.
Downtown Grantham Designer Outlet is being brought forward by independent retailer Oldrids & Downtown in partnership with Freeport Retail, one of Europe’s leading developers and operators of designer outlet centres.
Richard Broadhead, Managing Director of Oldrids & Downtown, said: “The approval of our updated planning application is a major step forward in the delivery of the Downtown Grantham Designer Outlet and the regeneration of the existing Downtown site.
“Although the pandemic has temporarily delayed some activities, we have been working hard behind the scenes to keep the momentum going. This includes actively marketing the scheme and agreeing detailed designs of stores for specific retailers.
“With new planning permission in place, we can rapidly build on this progress. Our priority is to advance discussions with premium retailers and continue to work with our architect and specialist consultants to begin construction as quickly as possible.
“We have been working on this important development for Grantham for over three years and, now more than ever, the investment and the 1,700 jobs we are expecting to create are vital for the area.”
The approval also means a Section 106 Agreement will be issued setting out the positive contribution Oldrids & Downtown will make to the local community once construction of the scheme begins.
This agreement will see the retailer plough more than half a million pounds into the local area to improve transport infrastructure, road signage, public transport, Grantham town centre facilities, car park signage, tourism, education and training.
Spanning 220,434 sq ft, Downtown Grantham Designer Outlet will comprise more than 100 new shops aimed at premium retail brands. It will be located adjacent to the A1, on land surrounding the existing Downtown retail site, which already attracts more than two million visitors every year.
The development will be complemented by a 22,561 sq ft indoor leisure facility, a new Tourist Information & Visitor Centre, a new ‘Downtown at Home’ flagship store and a new garden centre.
The regeneration project will also see the construction of a new training academy, which will be delivered in partnership with Grantham College.
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