Belgian urban redevelopment specialist Uplace said on Monday that it has received the environmental permit for its flagship Uplace Machelen mixed-use development project at Canal Zone, a former industrial area in Brussels.

Belgian urban redevelopment specialist Uplace said on Monday that it has received the environmental permit for its flagship Uplace Machelen mixed-use development project at Canal Zone, a former industrial area in Brussels.

The project, one of the largest retail-led developments currently planned for the Benelux region, received backing last week from the Flemish environment minister Joke Schauvliege.

'The environmental permit is the culmination of over five years spent securing planning consents for Uplace,' the company said. Together with the building permit and the socio-economic permit, which were granted before, the Uplace project now has all the required permits.

Initially launched in 2008, Machelen is a major redevelopment project encompassing a total of 190,000 m2 including offices, public spaces, retail facilities and hotel accommodation. The development - due for completion in 2014 - is expected to represent an investment of some EUR 600 mln.