A proposed £150 million retail development in Blaby, Leicestershire has been granted planning permission ahead of a scheduled opening in April 2019. The huge new Castle Acres Shopping Park, designed by leading architects Corstorphine + Wright, could create approximately 1,000 new jobs and generate £7.9 million in Business Rates.
High street retailer Next is acting as the developer, supported by Everards Brewery and the Fosse Park Partnership, and will anchor the development with a new 80,000 sq ft store.
In total, Castle Acres will deliver 288,000 sq ft of retail space on the site of the current Everards Brewery, with a 90,000 sq ft department store alongside Next’s new flagship fashion and homeware outlet.
Further retail space will be taken by other high-quality retailers including TK Maxx, as well as a selection of food and beverage operators, to create a lively area and compliment the neighbouring Fosse Shopping Park.
Jeff Downes, Director at Corstorphine + Wright, said: “Castle Acres is a fantastic retail scheme with a number of excellent tenants already signed up alongside Next, which is working closely with Everards Brewery as it looks to relocate to modern premises.
“We’ve been very keen to maximise the location of the site, in close proximity to the existing Fosse Shopping Park, to create a rounded retail offer that supports both schemes and will create a highly successful environment for shoppers.
“Now that planning permission has been granted we can push ahead with construction, which will take approximately two years to complete, ahead of an opening date in April 2019.”
In order to integrate with the existing retail offer, Corstorphine + Wright has included a link to Fosse Shopping Park as part of the designs. There is also the potential to share the additional 881 parking spaces that will be created as part of the Castle Acres Shopping Park to create a fully cohesive development.
