Planning application approved for redevelopment of prime Durham City shopping centre
Citrus Group, in joint venture with Galliard Homes, had their planning application approved at Planning Committee by Durham County Council. We are extremely excited to have reached this milestone for the redevelopment of Prince Bishops’ Place shopping centre in the heart of Durham City Centre.
On the back of a submission of the application in March this year following public consultation last summer, and circa 18 months of pre-application discussions., the submitted scheme consists of shops, leisure uses, a new public square, student housing and a hotel, creating a truly mixed-use landmark development which will breathe much needed new life into the fading shopping centre and support the vitality and viability of the City Centre as a whole.
James Taylor, Regional Director at Citrus Group commented: “It is fantastic news to get planning consent for the Prince Bishops Redevelopment. It has been a really positive experience working with the Authority and a broad range of local stakeholders to get to this point. The scheme will be transformative for the City Centre and it was great to see the planning committee support for the proposal. We look forward to continuing this journey through the delivery stages”.
David Hirschfield, Director at Galliard Homes said: “We are delighted to work alongside our partner Citrus Group to achieve planning approval at committee for our first investment in Durham. The whole process has been a robust and rewarding experience allowing us to move to the next phases of delivering this prime regeneration scheme and we look forward to continue to widen our regeneration footprint within Durham and the north-east”.
Robert Dibden (Planning Director) at Lichfields added: “We are delighted Durham County Council's Planning Committee has endorsed the plans for the regeneration of Prince Bishops Place. The scheme offers a unique opportunity to not only secure the sustainable future of the shopping centre, but also strengthen the vitality and viability of Durham City Centre more widely and create a vibrant destination where people will want to spend time. Importantly, it will also improve the overall design and appearance of the centre and make a far more positive contribution to the historic character of Durham City.”
Opened in 1998, the shopping centre is now a victim of structural changes in the retail sector over the past decade; exacerbated by Covid. With high vacancy rates, and little demand from national multiple retailers, it is essential that the centre reinvents itself and offers other reasons to visit.
Located between Elvet Bridge and Market Square and overlooking the River Wear with extensive views of the historic castle and cathedral., the proposed scheme will provide retail space to meet the future diverse needs of a mix of independents and national retailers. The very popular multi-storey car park will also be retained, which will continue to serve visitors to both the town centre and guests within the development site
Exceptional new walkways, landscaping and pedestrian seating offering views across the River Wear will all be provided to attract more visitors and increase the amount of time they spend in the city centre.
The vibrant new square will cater for public events and will be the centrepiece of the scheme, accommodating the main entrances to the hotel and student accommodation as well as a selection of busy shops, restaurants and leisure facilities.
The project will deliver c175 net additional full-time equivalent jobs in the retail, hospitality and wider regional supply chain sectors will be created when the site eventually opens, contributing an estimated £6.8m of Gross Value added per annum in economic output to the city.
Works are expected to commence in mid-2025 with the student housing opening for Autumn 2028.
