Bristol Alliance opens largest retail-led regeneration scheme in UK

Cabot Circus in Bristol, the largest city centre shopping and leisure destination in the UK, opened to the public last week. Developed by Alliance partners Land Securities and Hammerson, the EUR 63 mln (£50 mln) regeneration scheme is the first retail-led scheme in the UK to achieve a BREEAM 'Excellent' rating. The new retail scheme, which took eight years to complete, comprises 92,900 m² of shopping and leisure facilities and over 2,500 parking spaces. The scheme will also provide residential housing, offices and public spaces. In total the development comprises 139,353 m² of space on a 14.5-hectare site.

Later this year, Bristol Alliance will complete 32 new residential apartments and 24 affordable homes being developed in partnership with SOLON South West Housing Association. Future Inns will open a 140-bed hotel in spring 2009 and MCD, the residential urban regeneration specialist, will complete some 200 contemporary apartments in winter 2009. Construction of some 15,000 m² of new office space is to begin in early 2009.

'Collaboration has been the cornerstone of every aspect of this project, from the collective efforts of the seven teams of architects, right through to the ten different contractor firms and the 3,500 construction workers involved in bringing the vision for Cabot Circus to reality,' said Robin Dobson, Bristol Alliance Project delivery director.