DIY store is relocating as retail park set to be redeveloped for housing, reports James Cracknell
The Enfield branch of B&Q is relocating ahead of a major residential development at a retail park.
The hardware and gardening superstore at Colosseum Retail Park in Southbury is moving just a few hundred metres away to the adjacent Enfield Retail Park, taking the place of a former Toys’R’Us outlet that has long been closed.
Although the new B&Q will be smaller, no jobs are currently expected to be lost in the move taking place on 9th December. A company spokesperson said: “We are moving our Enfield store this winter to a new location in Enfield Retail Park, less than half-a-mile from our current store at Colosseum Retail Park.
“We look forward to opening our doors and continuing to support the people of Enfield and the surrounding area with all their home improvement needs.”
The move is the first indication that Colosseum Retail Park’s planned redevelopment is now making progress, more than two years since it was controversially granted planning permission. A partnership between American firm Blackrock and London-based NEAT Developments won outline approval to build 1,800 homes on the site in September 2020, at the same time as gaining permission for detailed plans of 444 homes in the scheme’s first phase, in towers up to 29 storeys tall.
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In last year’s draft Local Plan, the Southbury cluster of retail and leisure parks either side of the A10 Great Cambridge Road were allocated by Enfield Council for a total of almost 4,000 new homes over the next 25 years.
As well as Colosseum Retail Park, nearby sites such as Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Cineworld could be redeveloped for housing, although any scheme would likely need to re-provide the lost commercial and leisure space. Most of the area’s ‘out-of-town’ retail parks and supermarkets were originally developed in the 1990s and early 2000s, before the internet began to alter people’s shopping habits.
Buzz Bingo, Dunelm and KFC, which also have branches at Colosseum Retail Park, will continue to trade for the time being. Adam Cunningham, divisional director at Buzz Bingo, said: “Buzz Bingo Enfield remains open and welcoming people to play bingo. There are currently no plans to close the club in the immediate future and we’ll keep colleagues and customers updated with any developments.”
The Dispatch has attempted to contact the developers of Colosseum Retail Park for an update on the plans but has not received any response.
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