Whiteley Village
Whiteley Village
Location
Whiteley Village
Client
British Land and Whiteley Co-ownership
Value
£30m
Size
32,000 sq m
Sector(s)
Retail
Scope
Architecture, Master planning, Planning
Status
Completed
Part of a £100 million investment in making Whiteley a better place in which to live and work.
The previous site contained a retail development which, with the exception of a Tesco unit operated as a factory outlet centre with a few restaurants and cafes. This represented a regional rather than local retail offer and did not therefore function as a typical town centre high street nor offer a sense of local identity. Local residents needed to make journeys outside of Whiteley to meet their day to day needs.
Previous retail centre
A hybrid planning application seeking full planning permission for the demolition of 14,108 sq m of existing floor space and provision of 22,489 sq m of A1 retail, 2,731 sq m of A2/A3/A4/A5 with associated support space, extension to the Meadowside Centre to provide a community hub, creation of a new access from Whiteley Way and car parking along with outline planning permission for up to 76 residential units with provision of a hotel.
The main design principle for Whiteley Village considered a reworking of the site as a new town centre with a ‘high street’ offer of mixed uses and improved connectivity to the local community. The retail units were to operate over one, two and three storeys and their predominantly glazed facades provide life colour and animation to the retail streets.
Units range in size from 500 sq ft to 15,000 sq ft and the design provides flexibility to allow the tenants to increase or reduce the size of the units. The scheme also includes a small element of office above the retail as well as a hotel and some residential.
Situated at key entrance locations, smaller kiosk units help to create vibrancy with a street market feel and promote orientation points. Throughout the development, a series of cafes and restaurants serve to enliven along with a cafe cluster point where tables and chairs spill into the square.
The overall design provides a stronger sense of identity, vibrancy and a sustainable town centre with better physical links between the existing community and recreation areas. The improved relationship between buildings and spaces create a much greater sense of place and engender community ownership and pride.