A shopping centre the size of 17 football pitches would be needed to cope with the money expected to be spent in Brighton and Hove in the next ten years.
A £30,000 report commissioned by Brighton and Hove City Council revealed the number of shoppers who might choose Brighton was predicted to reach 543,886 by 2016 an increase of nine per cent. People are likely to spend an £144 million more on food a year and £1.2 billion on other items.
The report, considered by the environment committee today, will feed into the local development framework for the next 20 years, helping the council decide what should be built and where.
The report, by London-based firm GVA Grimley, said any new development should be built in existing shopping districts.
It also identified which shopping areas were on the up and which were in decline. It said Brighton was performing well although its major weakness was lack of department stores. It suggested the post office in Ship Street be turned into one.
The report criticised the emergence of North Street shops including Peacocks and Sports Soccer and said future designs should look more like the Hanningtons and North Street Quadrant developments. It suggested Churchill Square be extended as part of the Brighton Centre redevelopment.
Hove was described as a healthy district performing better than expected, although 38 per cent of shops were cafs, takeaways and restaurants, which could upset the area's balance.
It said St James's Street in Kemp Town and Boundary Road, Portslade, were thriving but London Road showed decline and Brighton Marina lacked essential shops and services. Lewes Road was "potentially vulnerable" and in need of regeneration.
Tony Mernagh, chairman of Brighton and Hove business forum, agreed with most of the report.
He said: "Finding increased floor space hinges on the significant redevelopment of Churchill Square. I'm not just talking about taking it down to the sea, I'm talking about putting extra levels on top."
He said the business forum was working on an action plan for the main Brighton shopping district as suggested in the report.
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
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