OTHER NEWS

DOIN’ IT FOR THE KIDS

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION CONCEPT PROVEN ONCE AGAIN BY HMG

PRESTWICH GIVES GREEN LIGHT TO TOWN CENTRE REVAMP

A MAJOR ‘COOP’ FOR HMG’S GERARD CENTRE

NEW APPOINTMENTS FOR HMG

PLANNING LONG TERM FOR LONGFIELD

BUSINESS BOOM AT BURTON PLACE!

INVEST IN THE BEST

HMG SECURE ROUND THE CLOCK LEGAL ASSISTANCE

HMG HEDGE THEIR BETS WITH NEW QUALITY TENANTS

WREXHAM HIPPODROME

HMG SET TO REALISE RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES IN BURTON

EARLY PLANS SUBMITTED FOR PRESTWICH REDEVELOPMENT

HMG APPOINT RICKITT MITCHELL DIRECTOR AS CHAIRMAN

HMG SEALS QUICK DEAL DESPITE COMMERCIAL PROPERTY SLOW-DOWN

REPORTING ON A SUCCESSFUL YEAR

HMG ACQUIRES AT AUCTION

HMG ACQUIRES AGAIN IN WREXHAM

MARCH 2009
PLANNING LONG TERM FOR LONGFIELD

Whenever news is broken that there are plans to dramatically overhaul a local landmark or public area, excitement builds and emotions run high. For those keen to improve the local community, the main frustration is the length of time it takes to see the change delivered. For those unsure about the impact of change, it’s the unknown and unscheduled that frustrates. Either way, we all want to see progress, improvement and a thriving local community of which we can all be proud.

Plans for the dramatic and long overdue redevelopment of the Longfield Centre in Prestwich have been a hot topic for some months now, and developers Hollins Murray Group, assure us that progress is going to plan. The revitalised shopping centre, with its combination of retail and residential uses, is heading through the planning process at the moment, with the support of local councillors, URBED and their plans for local improvement, and retailers who simply want a better environment in which to offer their products and produce.

Andrew Murray, Chief Executive of Hollins Murray, is as keen as anyone to deliver the dramatic new scheme but he pleads for patience from those of us less familiar with the timeframe associated with this type of project. “The design for the new shopping centre provides a perfect focal point for the village and will deliver shops and services in keeping with the expectations of the residents of Prestwich. But it will take time to secure planning and the subsequent build programme is substantial, so all we ask is that the local community bears with us, safe in the knowledge that we, the planning authorities and your locally elected representatives, continue to work to bring the new centre to life, in the shortest possible time frame.”

In the meantime, its business as usual at Longfield, as it continues to perform a vital role in delivering local services to us all. There remains a wide range of traders at the centre and HMG are keen for this to continue right though until building work can begin in earnest. “It’s great to see independent retailers thriving in the heart of the town,” said Murray, “and it’s our intention to provide an environment in which they can trade and flourish. Operating a fully let shopping centre is as much our intention now as it will be when the new development opens. It’s what our retailers want and it’s certainly what local residents demand from a well balanced and well stocked town centre.”