Our vision is to create a genuine mixed-use quarter complementing the retail and leisure offer, providing high quality, managed, residential rental homes, and co-working environment in the heart of the town centre.
An early illustrative sketch to show how the eastern end of the centre could be regenerated is shown within the red line boundary.
This investment would upgrade the existing retail and leisure offer, by replacing the former Debenhams department store and providing modern retail and entertainment amenities to ensure that The Oracle remains relevant with a new diversified offer.
Retail will remain at the destination’s heart, alongside new commercial and entertainment uses, such as a bowling alley to ensure a contemporary leisure offer that both engages and excites visitors along the riverside. The proposals would reconfigure the existing Vue Cinema to ensure it provides a high-quality film experience for its customers.
Illustrative sketch of the view from the Oracle bridge looking west - click to enlarge
The proposals would enhance The Oracle experience by providing a residential and working environment, alongside new leisure and entertainment facilities.
Across the two sites there is the potential to deliver c.475 homes with a variety of apartment types and sizes along with an extensive amenity offering for residents. Flexible co-working spaces are also proposed to respond to new ways, post-covid, in which we work and live in our town centres.
Hammerson is working alongside Packaged Living to deliver high quality, contemporary homes to rent which foster a sense of community. Packaged Living is a bespoke, Build-to-Rent operator and developer that has grown a pipeline of c.5,000 homes nationwide since its inception in 2018 with major developments spanning the UK. Imagery from other Packaged Living schemes is included on this website.
Illustrative sketch of the view from the curved bridge looking east - click to enlarge
Build to Rent developments provide high quality purpose built homes, designed for rent rather than sale. Homes are professionally managed by a single company, rather than individual landlords, and longer-tenancies can be provided which offer security in the private rented sector.
Packaged Living track record
Aubery Place, Milton Keynes
Heyrod Street, Manchester
Quayside, Newcastle
Highcross, Leicester
Hammerson is committed to sustainability, having set industry-leading targets to be Net Zero by 2030 for:
Carbon
Water
Resource use
Social Impacts
The proposals would seek to implement this Net Zero approach, which goes above and beyond regulatory requirements. Renewable energy features such as water source heat pumps and solar panelling will be considered. The scheme will target BREEAM excellence rating by creating sustainable future-proof buildings from the construction process through into the long-term use.
Recycled and reused materials will be used where possible through the design and construction process to reduce the carbon footprint of the development.
Examples of renewable energy features - click to enlarge