The O2 could be set to have a brand new outlet shopping mall developed inside it.
An outline planning application has been submitted to Greenwich Council to establish a “retail outlet village” in the the former Millennium Dome in North Greenwich.
The plans envisage two storeys of shops with a leisure offering, such as bowling or a children’s play area above them.
If built, it would be the “first significant Retail Outlet Village within the Greater London area,” say the developers.
“Outlet” shopping centres typically offer products from well known brands at discount prices. Project architects RTKL carried out visits to outlet centres at Ashford and Bicester as part of their research for the designs.
They suggest in their plans that five “zones” could be created, each offering distinct characteristics such as “Main Street” for popular brands, a “Market” for stalls and smaller shops and “The Court” for upmarket, designer brands.
The applicant says the scheme will “deliver the final component of The O2 and complete its transformation into a world class destination for the London Borough of Greenwich,” adding that the increased daytime footfall “will enable The O2 to strengthen as a world leading leisure destination.”
If the council approves the concept of a retail shopping village in the outline planning application, a more detailed planning application will have to be submitted before it can go ahead.
Oooh, this is exciting. And a very clever move on their part. There’s not really much else to do in the 02 except go see an overpriced film or have dinner. Brainy way of keeping customers inside the building – you only really go if you have to, don’t you?
Planning takes time but if given go ahead it will be yet another contributing factor in the demise of the high street.
While I would personally welcome something like this at the O2 I cant see it happening for a number of reasons.
Firstly would be footfall. The O2 at 11AM on any day of the week is like a ghost town , all thats missing are the tumble-weeds. Unless the rents were tiny , which seems highly unlikely , I cant see how retail outlets would be financially sustainable.
Then there is the parking. Its already ridiculously expensive to park at the O2 ( unless you get a cinema ticket rebate ) and with free parking at Bluewater only 15mins away and Ashford designer outlet about 40mins away I would question if people will be willing to cough up for parking. Its all well and good having good public transport links but if you intend to buy more than you can easily car your really going to want your car.When ith O2 £20 pound a pop car park is closed parking is pretty limited as it is , altho there is scope to open up more areas currently empty for parkingI guess.
Next there is the willingness of the O2 ‘brand’ to be associated with a ‘discount’ outlet. Even in these austere times brand is everything and I cannot imagine O2 breaking the mould and saying hey were cheap and cheerful.
Lastly there is potential for traffic chaos. To anyone that has tried to park during a gig / show in either the station car park or the £20 O2 one then you will have experienced the misery of traffic jams.Its taken me 40 mins to get out of the station car park on more than one occasion when I have clashed with a gig turning out. Throw the additional traffic a outlet would attract and your well on the way to Carmageddon in my opinion.
So as much as I would like to see some shopping outlets at the O2 I just cant see it happening
stu
Could work really well – anyone who remembers early 90s Canary Wharf will remember it only really came to life with the expansion of its shopping centre.
But there’s lots of competition – the Wharf and Stratford City spring to mind. And as Stu says, the area simply can’t cope with any more additional traffic.
Its a fantastic idea and a great scheme !! people will use the trains and the thames clippers..
“people will use the trains and the thames clippers..” –
They won’t from Kent – and that’s got to be a target market. Most of the traffic that clogs up the streets around the Dome at night is heading south-east, not to the rest of London.
Hopefully it will be more like the Clarks Village in Sommerset (the best one ever!) rather than Chatham or Ashford which are ok & we do visit every few months. Its more akin to going to a shopping mall than the high st so I think they will be able to co-exist.