Redevelopment of London Road Retail Park, Biggleswade

In June 2011, Central Bedfordshire Council announced that as part of the redevelopment Marks & Spencer had agreed terms to open a store on the London Road Retail Park which will provide the full range of goods that they sell including clothing, furniture, homewares and their range of food and wines.

In July 2011 it appeared that the indications were now that this is the current plan but M&S has not yet confirmed that it definitely intends to open a store. LXB Retail Properties (the owners of the site who are based in Jersey) were confident the plans could go ahead without M&S.

The Planning Application was made in October 2011 under the name of LXB RP (Biggleswade) Ltd. The target date for a decision was originally 24th January 2012 which was then moved to 24th February 2012. The application is now to go to the Central Bedfordshire Planning Committee on 25th April 2012. As yet the Planning Officers have not published their report or recommendations.

I do know that Central Bedfordshire Council appointed their own Planning Consultant to audit the retail submission made by LXB. It is understood that their conclusion may well be that the development would have a significant impact on Biggleswade Town Centre. Central Bedfordshire Council asked LXB to produce an additional report on matters that Central Bedfordshire Council and their retail consultant had raised. LXB consider the Town Centre healthy as there is only a shop vacancy rate of 9% below the national average of 13.65% and there are two charity shops, which they consider a further positive reflection of a town centre performing well. At last count I thought there were three charity shops, Age UK, Cancer Research UK and RATS. LXB assess "the retail impact on the Town as 6.85% resulting from a £2.28M diversion." That means the Town will at least lose over £2 million worth of trade. Others think the impact will be much more.

Initially it was said that all existing tenants would remain and appeared to support the redevelopment, but there has been some disquiet from existing tenants and town centre traders. LXB are now saying that there are three confirmed tenants, M&S, Next & Sports Direct. I understand that a representative from Matalan was at the Biggleswade Town Council Planning Committee last Tuesday, although he was not identified within the Agenda as a speaker and has voiced concerns about the development. I understand there is a report in the Biggleswade Chronicle today but I have not seen it yet. I also understand that The Secretary of State has been asked to call in the application.

Not a foregone conclusion then.