Insider Media Limited

Birmingham developer St Modwen is confident that its schemes across Merseyside can reach "critical mass" over the next year as it enters a busy stage of development. Projects director Paul Batho spoke to Insider at the British Council for Shopping Centres (BCSC) conference in Manchester this week.

He said: “We’ve got a number of schemes onsite and a number about to start. It’s all about viability now and food-led retail schemes are working – and we’ve been able to land some pre-lets to allow us to develop.”

Central to St Modwen’s thinking is Great Homer Street, north Liverpool, where Tesco has now stepped aside to allow the Sainsbury’s-anchored scheme to progress towards a start onsite. Batho said: “We’ve now initiated the compulsory purchase process and hopefully we can get the site together and start the scheme – it will be the biggest food store in Liverpool and there’s 80,000 sq ft of non-food retail. We’re looking now to speak to end-users and build our line-up. There’s a strong political will and that is fundamental.”

One such scheme is at Connah's Quay, North Wales, where a 52,000 sq ft Morrison’s allowed the speculative build of 20,000 sq ft of further retail. Another project is the Venture Fields leisure scheme in the Widnes Waterfront regeneration zone, which will start onsite this month. Batho said: “Venture Fields is a great example of sticking to your guns – it’s been on the books for ten years but has had to overcome various hurdles.”

St Modwen is also heavily involved in the redevelopment of Skelmersdale town centre. Batho said that it has been working up proposals for “most of this year” that he hopes to be able to make public soon. “Again, viability is the key – you need major pre-lets. Unfortunately we don’t have a magic wand. What we do have as a business is good lonbg-term banking relationships and a firm focus of what is deliverable.”