A new cinema and space for bars and restaurants feature in the now-published plans to revamp the Baytree Centre in Brentwood, despite concerns about anti-social behaviour.
The proposals for the Baytree Centre, promoted by Brentwood Borough Council’s commercial arm known as Seven Arches Investment Ltd (SAIL), also include seven new residential dwellings for market sale, arranged as a terrace of mews houses, in South Street, and space for retail and leisure use.
The most significant change to the remodelling of the shopping centre would see a new open-air pedestrian route connecting Brentwood High Street and South Street, which would provide a new area of public realm off South Street.
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But it has received concerns that more late-night leisure offerings will increase anti-social behaviour.
Representations from a couple in South Street, who have kept their names anonymous, said: “We are already subjected to anti-social behaviour in our street. More restaurants and leisure will make this worse.”
A statement from the council said: “The applicant believes that the scheme would not worsen or contribute to any further anti-social behaviour. The scheme will be opening up the area with better landscaping and lighting, allowing for better surveillance through the use of new facilities and provision of a new pedestrian route in and out the centre.
"This will help minimise anti-social behaviour and instead contribute to a safer environment.”
The plans come after the council agreed a spending commitment of around £23million to unshackle the town’s shopping centre from its “state of paralysis” to create a new shopping mall and multi-screen cinema.
The council spent £10.8m on purchasing the shopping centre and said it wants to differentiate Brentwood from other town centre high street locations.
The authority vowed to make sure the final tenant mix has a mixture of both national, regional and local operators to “give Brentwood the edge over other locations nearby”.
A planning statement as part of the proposals says: “The proposals fully support the intentions of Brentwood Borough Council to enhance and improve negative aspects of the town centre’s function and appearance where relevant.”
Resident Gerry Bender said: “I am pleased to see that the Baytree developments as shown in the documentation are designed to ‘fit in’ with the historical nature of Brentwood. It enhances the unique characteristics of the town."
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