City council leader reveals progress on long-awaited developments

southampton docks

Southampton is making progress towards starts on several major development schemes, the city council鈥檚 leader Dawn Baxendale has said.

Speaking at a Built Environment Networking event in the city, Baxendale provided updates on a number of major schemes, including the city鈥檚 long-awaited 拢400m Royal Pier Waterfront (pictured) and 拢90m Watermark WestQuay schemes.

The city council is working with Royal Pier Waterfront joint developers ABP, Morgan Sindall and Lucent to get a planning application in for the huge mixed-use scheme by January 2015, Baxendale said.

She also confirmed the 拢90m first phase of Hammerson鈥檚 long-awaited Watermark WestQuay leisure and retail complex will start on site this autumn, adding this will 鈥減robably be in October鈥.

Baxendale also revealed the city council is working with Network Rail on a potential 拢35m mixed-use quarter to the south of the city鈥檚 railway station.

Associated British Ports (ABP), Southampton Solent University and Southampton Airport also shared their development plans.

ABP plans to invest 拢150m in the Port of Southampton over the next five years, a 50% increase on the last five year period, Southampton Solent University is planning a rolling series of developments at its East Park campus and Southampton Airport plans to invest 拢30m over the next three years and is currently updating its masterplan.

Baxendale said Southampton had been 鈥渨ell-hidden鈥 for too long.

She said: 鈥淪outhampton has been well-hidden, there鈥檚 no doubt about that, in terms of its location, its potential and the reality of what can be delivered here.

鈥淚鈥檓 here to tell you not only is that very different today, but it is being done because we work very closely with, and in partnership with, the private sector.鈥