Brent Cross mall aims to regain its crown with £1.4bn upgrade plan

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Oct 25, 2016

London’s Brent Cross shopping centre could double in size in a £1.4bn revamp that should allow the 40-year-old shopping mall to better compete with newer arrivals such as Westfield at Shepherd’s Bush and Stratford.

Owner Hammerson expects to submit a formal planning application early next year. It wants to transform what was once London’s leading mall with extra space to take it to 1.9m sq ft. The reborn mall could play host to 200 stores plus 50 food outlets, a cinema and a hotel.

Hammerson development director Mike McGuinness said the investment will make the reborn Brent Cross the most most technically advanced shopping centre in Britain with the revamp set to reflect the move towards digital shopping.

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The mall will retain John Lewis and Fenwick as anchor tenants with a very large Marks & Spencer to be added to the mix as a third anchor.

The large number of food outlets planned reflects the trend towards spending on leisure activities and are seen as a key draw to boost footfall to the centre. When Brent Cross opened in 1976 it had only two restaurants.

The redevelopment comes as the neighbouring Cricklewood area also benefits from an upgrade and the revamped mall will have a pedestrian “green boulevard” that will allow shoppers to walk easily from the town centre into Brent Cross.

But while opening hours are likely to be extended in the new centre, it is believed that it will no longer offer all day free parking to shoppers.