The redevelopment of a town centre in Nottinghamshire is expected to come to a head by the 'end of summer' and has been done within budget. Despite one business - a shisha lounge - pulling out, it is hoped Beeston will soon be a "destination" for revellers with pleasant bars and terrific restaurants.
Beeston is currently undergoing a £50m makeover and has bucked a national trend with the collapse of traditional high street retail. Beeston Square is the town's centrepiece and features the Arc Cinema which is complimented by a number of units for independent retailers to inhabit.
Milan Radulovic, Eastwood councillor and leader of Broxtowe Borough Council, told Nottinghamshire Live they had purposely chosen to avoid renting out space to 'national chains' and instead wanted local businesses to feature. A similar resurgence in high street retail through independents is also being seen in Bridlesmith Gate, Nottingham.
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"The thing about it is it has been brought in on budget," councillor Radulovic says. "That is something to be proud of, especially in these times."
According to the council Italian restaurant Ottimo opened for trade in unit five on April 29 this year, while The Beeston Social is now in its final stages of fitting-out units two and three, and is planning to open during the week commencing June 6. Rassam’s Creamery are due to complete their lease of unit one "any day now and expect to start fitting-out almost immediately".
This leaves just one empty unit which needs a tenant. "It has been a huge success. Just one more unit and we will be fully-operational," councillor Radulovic said.
"We are hoping by the end of the summer things like the canopy and the lighting will be done, and the units will take a bit longer, but hopefully by the end of the summer.
"Where it is situated right on the interchange there is a tremendous turnover of people and it has become very, very popular. We have tried to make it a destination rather than somewhere that you just visit.
"There are a number of pleasant bars and terrific restaurants. We've tried to keep away from national chains and stuck with local entrepreneurs, making it affordable for the independents.
"It will give Beeston national significance."
Another large part of the development of the square is the former Argos store. The letting of the first floor of the Argos Block to Core VR is in the hands of a solicitor and is expected to open shortly after the August Bank Holiday.
However the second business which had hoped to open in the former store has pulled out. It was hoped a shisha lounge would inhabit the rest of the space but the owner is "not now proceeding due to the inability to comply with smoking legislation", the council said.
Planning permission for external alterations to the Argos block canopy and shop-fronts was approved in May and work is due to start in July lasting eight weeks. Construction works for the 'Changing Places Toilet' are scheduled to begin in July lasting four weeks.
Speaking about the planned shisha lounge councillor Radulovic added: "They have redrawn it. It is one of those things, people come in and make an enquiry and maybe it is not for them, but overall the response has been excellent."
