The proposed £20million redevelopment of the former Chapel High shopping precinct is set to revitalise Brentwood and give a massive boost to businesses in the town centre if it gets the green light from the borough council.
Developers Halladale (Brentwood) Ltd have lodged plans with the council which would transform the precinct, once dubbed "the hole in the heart of Brentwood," into a modern and dynamic shopping mall.
If the plans get the go-ahead, the renamed Bay Tree Centre could be open by autumn 2004. In addition, the vacant Becket House office complex will be converted into 106 flats on a prime town centre site.
Brentwood and Ongar MP Eric Pickles said: "The Bay Tree Centre is the crucial decision that is going to affect Brentwood well into this century, and I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that. The Bay Tree Centre is the decision of the century."
He added: "So much of the fate of Brentwood is tied up with the Bay Tree Centre, and I think if that should go wrong it would well and truly seal our fate. But if the centre is a success, I think it will have a very positive impact on the town."
Roger Kelsey, the chairman of Brentwood Chamber of Commerce, also welcomed the redevelopment plans, saying: "I think any improvement in Chapel High is going to be positive, and as a chamber we wish Halladale well."
He said the proposed architectural improvements, including a glazed roof over the precinct and larger shop units, would bring benefits to both retailers and shoppers.
And he also welcomed the plans to convert Becket House into flats, saying it would provide extra customers for town centre retailers, and boost Brentwood's night-time economy, which is centred around restaurants and bars.
However, Mr Kelsey said he was concerned that any new businesses which move into the Bay Tree Centre should complement the existing shops in the town and not compete with them, and that the existing shops in the centre should be inconvenienced as little as possible during the refurbishment, which could take up to 18 months.
"The tenants currently in Chapel High will be living in what is virtually a building site and they will have to be accommodated either financially, through compensation, or by other means to ensure that they don't have any great loss of trade," he said.
Published Wednesday, June 18, 2003
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