CONCOURSE REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT

London & Cambridge Properties (LCP) has reaffirmed its commitment to its proposed £4 million leisure scheme at the Concourse Shopping Centre in Skelmersdale, Lancashire.                       

Skelmersdale Limited Partnership, a joint venture between LCP and Threadneedle Investments, has sought to reassure local residents that it was pressing ahead with its plans, despite a rival application for a town centre scheme being given the go-ahead.

Jo Salmon, retail portfolio manager, said: “While it is unhelpful for us that local authority has given a competing scheme planning consent, we remain focused on our plans for the Concourse.

“We are working very hard to bring a high-quality restaurants and a cinema to the town and preparatory work has already started to prepare the second floor for this much-needed facility for the town.

“There is no doubt that having a second scheme with consent, however conditional, will bring uncertainty to the market and will make our job very much more difficult, but we want to reassure locals, workers, shoppers and existing businesses that we are pressing ahead with our exciting plans.”

LCP was given planning permission by West Lancashire Borough Council in December last year to create a multi-screen cinema and restaurants scheme, which will ensure the future viability of the Concourse Shopping Centre, creating at least 40 new jobs and protecting the 800-plus jobs that are already there.

Concourse is already in advanced talks with a number of high street restaurant chains that are keen to be part of the new complex and hopes to confirm the first signings soon.