A new development prospectus has revealed how the city council of Cannock, Staffordshire, plans to renovate its struggling town centre to market it to investors. This prospectus has also been funded by Staffordshire County Council and the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP).
A key part of the redevelopment plan is a new outlet to hold a cinema, shops, a gym and food and drink venues. The outlet will also hold apartments and a hotel or office space on upper levels.
The outlet will replace a disused multi-storey car park area (including the nearby market hall and retail units) in the town centre that has been called an “eyesore” by council leader George Adamson. It was built in 1977 and closed in August after a structural engineer raised safety concerns in a report. However, plans to demolish the car park still need to be approved.
For the past few years, improvements to Cannock’s Town Centre to bring in more investments have been planned. Councillor Gordon Alcott has described it as a “long term aspiration of the council” due to its failures in the retail sector. Back in 2017, Conservative Parliamentary Candidate Amanda Milling stated on her visit that the town centre was “a cause of concern to local residents” despite its potential.
The beginnings of the development of the new prospectus started with consultants looking at key sites they believed they could utilise to increase investment in the town centre. The multi-storey car park and indoor market and the bus station were chosen from this purpose. Beecroft Road car park was also identified as having potential for a new car park as well as residential, retail or commercial office space being built on it. Additionally, Danilo Road car park may be used for apartments or senior living. These observations also stated that there was enough demand to create a new “destination area”, although “the viability of cinema/restaurant schemes can be challenging.”
The draft prospectus was approved on 11th July by the council’s cabinet, and will start to be distributed to developers, investors and agents. Councillor Gordon Alcott stated that the development is “intended to promote Cannock and to try and secure future investment in Cannock town centre,” and is the next town centre improvement now they have completed improvement work in Rugeley and Hednesford. This is believed to be essential work as council leader George Adamson expressed concerns that Cannock town centre has “been struggling as most town centres have”, resulting in a need to attract visitors or the town centre “will decline further”.
The council estimates that the new floorspace, jobs, leisure and cultural uses brought by the £160 million McArthurGlen outlet, which they hope to be built in 2020, will bring 3 million annual visitors to Cannock. It is hence an opportunity they do not wish to miss out on.
A launch event for the renovation is planned to take place in October this year.
Charlie Murray
