May 30, 2018
Property developer, Angle Property, has obtained planning permission for a large mixed-use regeneration project in St. Albans city centre on behalf of Palmer Capital Development Fund III (PCDFIII), a programmatic venture between CBRE Global Investment Partners (GIP) and Palmer Capital. The scheme, known as the Civic Centre, will comprise 86 apartments, 20,000 sf of retail/restaurant and a new office building as well as new public open space and pedestrian links.
The development zone is within an area roughly bounded by Bricket Road, Victoria Street and the Alban Arena in St Albans city centre. The site has been identified as a regeneration area for c.20 years and has been through a number of planning applications and ownerships over the years.
Through extensive public engagement, Angle has successfully obtained planning consent for the site which is located in a conservation area. Angle has also worked with a number of parties to resolve complex land ownership issues.
Acting for PCDFIII, Angle has arranged the sale of part of their ownership to St. Albans Council, which has recently acquired the other parcels of the wider site from the Police and NHS. The Council, as owner and developer, will be taking forward and delivering the main part of the project. Angle Property & PCDFIII will retain ownership of Hertfordshire House, a former office block, and will continue with its plans to complete the masterplan “jigsaw” of the area through undertaking a residential conversion.
Executive director of Angle, Tony Williamson, said: “Angle is delighted to have achieved the masterplan planning consent for the Civic Centre Opportunity Site which was so well supported locally.
It has been a very complicated process but working with the council, the police and the NHS, the jigsaw has come together to enable a comprehensive regeneration project to proceed. We wish the council well as they embark on this complex project.”
SADC leader Cllr Alec Campbell said that this s one of the biggest and most challenging projects the council has undertaken: “We are extremely pleased to have completed these two purchases as they are essential to our ambition of transforming this whole area in a coordinated way.
I am delighted with the help we received from both the Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust and Angle Property to make this deal happen. Our mission to redevelop the area began some years ago. Following this major breakthrough, we can now focus on our detailed plans for its rejuvenation. This site is in the very heart of St Albans and its enhancement can only benefit the whole community.”