Plans for future of Bromborough’s Croft Retail Park are revealed

Oct 29 2008 by Lorna Hughes, Bromborough and Bebington News

TEN years after acquiring Bromborough’s Croft Retail Park, owners USS have outlined their vision for the future of the site.

USS (Universities Superannuation Scheme), the UK’s second largest pension scheme, says it has invested £20m in the Croft since 1998 and has a long-term commitment to Bromborough with:

l A drive to attract more family-oriented restaurants to the park’s leisure complex

l A deal with fashion retailer Arcadia to open a “Outfit” store next month selling Burton, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Warehouse, Dorothy Perkins and Wallis

l A refurbishment programme to give the retail and leisure sections a contemporary look, including improvements to shop fronts and a new “totem sign” at the A41 entrance

l Adding food outlets like Greggs and Subway

USS’s portfolio manager for retail property, Fergus Egan, said he hoped the mix of retail and leisure at the Croft would keep shoppers in Bromborough.

Mr Egan, a trained surveyor, said: “We are constantly seeking to provide a wider choice for existing visitors to the Croft.

“Part of the spin-off benefit of this is that we encourage people who live locally to shop locally, rather than going to Cheshire Oaks.

“We have owned the Croft for nearly a decade now, and during that time we have actively invested in the park, seeking to regenerate and improve it.”

He added: “We’ve got other schemes around us but it’s not about trying to compete - we want to provide a mix that keeps the community coming to us.”

Ten years ago the Croft was effectively separate parks for retail and leisure, and Mr Egan said a major challenge for USS has been to integrate the two - and Asda, which is not owned by USS.

He said: “The retail and leisure parks were almost out-facing and there was no connection between the two.

“We want people to be able to see everything on the park and to avoid the American concept of having to drive from one side to another.”

Last week USS announced it was withdrawing a planning application for 105 housing units on a disused part of the park previously used as a car park.

A group of residents are fighting the plans and argue the housing would increase anti-social behaviour and create more congestion along Magazine Road and New Chester Road.

But Mr Egan said: “We looked at alternative uses and we did a whole trawl of the market but we struggled to get retailer interest, which is how we ended up with the residential idea.

“It can’t sit in its current position, just chained off, forever.”