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NEWS

Oxford opening date confirmed The Westgate Oxford Alliance has confirmed that its £440m Westgate Oxford development will open its doors to the public in October 24 2017. The launch date, in less than nine months’ time, will ensure that retailers benefit from the Christmas trading period,. The new 800,000-sq ft Westgate Oxford currently stands at over 70 per cent pre-let and in solicitor’s hands following the recent announcement of new high street and premium retailers, including: Mint Velvet, Smashbox, Gant, Hotel Chocolat, Smiggle, Guess, Body Shop, T2, Trotters, Accessorize, Lush and Aveda. These high street brands will sit

alongside a 140,000-sq ft John Lewis flagship store and a host of British and international names such as Hugo Boss, Jo Malone, Ted Baker, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, & Other Stories, Mac, Joules and Victoria’s Secret Pink. The centre also features a vibrant leisure offer to include Dirty Bones, Pho, Polpo, Pizza Pilgrims, Cinnamon Kitchen, The Breakfast Club, The Alchemist and Sticks’n’Sushi. Bert Martin, development director for the Westgate Oxford Alliance said: “Visitors to Westgate can expect a firstclass line-up of retail, food and leisure brands that will further cement Oxford as one of the most attractive cities in the country to spend time in.”

Frogmore portfolio enters administration Property insolvency specialists Arron Kendall and Simon Thomas of Moorfields Advisory have been appointed administrators over three companies within the Frogmore group following the borrower’s failure to repay the loans when due. The assets comprise the Broadwalk shopping centre in Bristol, Port Arcades shopping centre in Ellesmere Port and Belle Vale shopping centre in Liverpool.

The shopping centres will continue to trade as normal while the administrators develop a disposal strategy. The Broadwalk shopping centre in Bristol has been established for over 40 years and enjoys a central location with access to the high street. Comprising 221,000 sq ft, it contains over 70 units and benefits from its own multi-storey car park.

Port Arcades shopping centre in Ellesmere Port is located in the heart of the town centre occupying 346,000 sq ft with over 60 retail units and car park for over 1,000 cars. Belle Vale shopping centre in Liverpool occupies over 278,000 sq ft, mainly operating as a convenience and discount-led shopping centre with over 60 units and has its own multistorey car park.

Liffey Valley consent overturned on appeal Hines’ plans for a major extension at the Liffey Valley shopping centre, west of Dublin, have received a setback with An Bord Pleanala, the Irish planning appeals board, overturning South Dublin Council’s original consent. Last summer the council granted planning permission for a 22,000-sq m SHOPPING CENTRE MARCH 2017

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development to include up to 60 new stores, a new civic plaza and a 2,500 seat Olympic-sized indoor ice arena. Even through the council had earlier refused to allow any additional parking at the centre, the board found that the proposal would cause “serious traffic congestion” on the nearby M50 and the N4. www.shopping-centre.co.uk

01/03/2017 09:03:57