May 2006 New stores coming to town H&M, Next and Wallis are the latest fashion retailers who have signed up for new stores within the Cattle Market development and the new Next store will be about four times the size of its existing outlet on Cornhill in the town centre. Other retailers to have signed up include Debenhams, TopShop and TopMan, New Look, HMV and Waterstones. Demand for space is very high as historically the town has struggled to provide suitable size units for major retailers, and these latest lettings mean that the scheme is now over 50% pre-let. This show of retail confidence should lead to further investment which will benefit the town centre itself - the historic core as well as the adjoining new development – and also the surrounding area. Construction will begin later this year and the development is scheduled to open in 2008. Schools get arty Local school children will be making their mark by decorating panels to be used as hoardings around the site. Thirteen schools in Bury St Edmunds are taking part and creating a total of 79 panels! The panels will be collected at the end of the summer term and some of them given a special coating to make them weatherproof so they can brighten up the town whilst construction work goes on. Architecture Week 16-25 June Architecture Week is an annual celebration of contemporary architecture and for the first time a programme of events has been planned in Bury St Edmunds with talks and tours around the town. Highlighted sites include the Cattle Market, with architect Jim Greaves talking about how the designs for the extension to the heart of Bury St Edmunds came about. Other sites include the cathedral and the Malt House in Elsey's Yard as well as general lectures on streets and townscapes. Information and booking details are available from the Bury St Edmunds Tourist Information Centre, 6 Angel Hill. Tel 01284 764667 or email tic@stedsbc.gov.uk Construction work out to tender Tenders have now gone out for the construction of the Cattle Market. A large number of contractors had expressed their interest but a pre-selection process, in line with EU procurement rules, has whittled these down to four companies which have been invited to tender. Tenders will be returned on 26 June and evaluated both on cost and quality criteria. The successful contractor should be appointed by September. | Minimising disruption We’re doing all we can to make sure things go smoothly once construction begins this autumn. Measures include: -
a neighbourhood liaison officer -
safe pedestrian routes -
no noisy work allowed outside of normal working hours -
wheel washers for site vehicles to keep our roads clean -
contractors will park out of town and bus to the site and deliveries will stay in an out of town holding area until needed Your feedback is vital to make sure our plans are keeping everyone happy. For example, consulting residents around Nelson Road meant we could make changes to our plans to tackle their concerns before work began. If you have any questions or worries, or just thoughts you want to share, please contact us. Working together is a two-way street! Tel: 01284 757372 or email us at: property.services@stedsbc.gov.uk
Step closer for one of the links Centros Miller has exchanged contracts to buy the property that will be needed to form the ‘link’ – one of a number of pedestrian routes between the shops in the historic town centre and the new shops that will soon be built as part of the Cattle Market scheme. The building – between Woolworths and the Post Office on Cornhill – currently houses TopShop and Stead & Simpson. Centros Miller will be buying the freehold from the current owners, Land Securities, and the deal will be completed in September this year. Once the construction work on the main scheme is finished and the retailers affected by the link development have relocated to their new premises, the existing building on Cornhill will be demolished to make way for the new link. A new building containing shops with residential apartments above will be built in its place. This will allow Market Thoroughfare to be widened to five metres, with space for window shoppers between the colonnade feature of the new building and its shop fronts. |
