SUBMISSION OF PLANNING APPLICATION FOR BROOKFIELD RIVERSIDE

Borough of Broxbourne and Hertfordshire County Council, together with their development partner Sovereign Peveril, a joint venture between Sovereign Centros and Peveril Securities, have submitted planning for the £500m Brookfield Riverside development, part of the wider Brookfield masterplan, at Cheshunt, Hertfordshire.

Seen as a significant future economic generator for the region, the new town centre and garden village will deliver the 1 million sq ft mixed use town centre development and 1,500 residential dwellings within a comprehensive and green Brookfield masterplan.

Brookfield Riverside, the new “out of town” town centre, will be a major mixed use sustainable destination with retail, leisure, food and beverage, hotel, civic uses, workspace, assisted living, mixed residential and parking for 2,000 vehicles. The adjacent Brookfield Garden Village has 1,250 new homes, a primary school, neighbourhood centre and other council facilities needed in the area.

One of the last areas in the UK to support a project of this size and concept, it is extremely well-located just north of junction 25 on the M25 London Orbital Motorway and alongside the A10. The New River, which was built in 1613 to supply London with fresh drinking water and flows through the site, will form a focal point of attraction for the leisure and restaurant elements.

The development will see improved road and junction infrastructure, together with new cycling and pedestrian links to connect to Cheshunt.

The new town centre meets all the requirements of the Local Plan to maximise street level activity and the night time economy; create a defined character of design and landmark buildings; public spaces focused on the New River frontages; car parking to meet need; exceptional public realm with extensive planting and landscaping; integration with the existing retail park, M&S and Tesco stores; and a scale and mix to create vitality and viability.

Chris Geaves, Chief Executive of Sovereign Centros, said: “We, alongside our development partners Borough of Broxbourne and Hertfordshire County Council, are delighted to submit proposals for Brookfield Riverside, part of the wider Brookfield masterplan. This is a transformative urban regeneration project that will boost employment and economic opportunities in the region. It is one of London and the South East’s last regeneration opportunities on this scale and will create a new heart for shopping and leisure in this superb location. The local community’s feedback has been vital in shaping our plans for the new town centre and we are excited about the next phase in delivering the scheme.”

Ralph Jones, managing Director of Peveril Securities commented: “We are delighted to be associated with this development which is in a unique location on the edge of London and we very much look forward to bringing it to fruition over the next two years.”

Councillor Lewis Cocking, Leader of Borough of Broxbourne said: This development will be transformational for the Borough and will bring significant social and economic benefits to local people. I am delighted that the project has reached this crucial stage.

“The developments will create much-needed housing and affordable homes, a variety of leisure and retail facilities, including a new cinema and up to 2,000 permanent new jobs.  This will not only be good for the local economy, but will also have environmental benefits;  the new town centre will be fully integrated with the public transport, cycling and walking networks and local people will no longer have to travel outside of the area for their shopping and leisure needs.

“I am delighted that the objectives set out in our Local Plan are taking shape within the planning applications after nearly two decades of hard work and commitment from all at the Borough of Broxbourne.”

Richard Roberts, Leader of Hertfordshire County Council and Chair of Hertfordshire Growth Board, said: “Brookfield Riverside and Garden Village are incredibly innovative and important projects. They demonstrate our commitment to ensuring Hertfordshire remains a wonderful place for families to live, work and learn.

“We are committed to making sure that our county is home to well-designed, sustainable and thriving communities, and the Brookfield developments are excellent examples of how collaborative working can bring new places forward to make our residents’ lives even better.”

The submission follows the recently granted planning consent for Blackstone and Hudson’s £700m Sunset Film Studios development on a 91-acre site to the south of Brookfield Riverside.

Architects for the development are Lyons Sleeman Hoare.