Rushden Lakes Progressing Well Towards Summer Opening

THE FIRST of a new generation of retail and leisure experiences will take another significant step towards its opening when handover of units for fit-out commences on the £140 million project at Rushden Lakes in Northamptonshire.
Winvic can confirm that work is progressing well on Phase One of the United Kingdom’s largest out-of-town scheme of its kind in a decade, which is now scheduled to open to the public in the summer of 2017 following further developments.
Having been contracted by LXB Retail Properties, we are playing a prominent part in the creation of this unique retail and leisure destination.

“As you would expect with a project on such a large scale, there have been challenges, most of all managing change along the way. Since we first arrived on site, the project has grown quite considerably in size, while another important requirement has been working closely with all the different tenants of the units.”

Richard Black, Project Manager

As well as 380,000 sq. ft. of shopping space, Rushden Lakes will offer many other attractions including a multi-screen cinema, waterfront restaurants, a boathouse and lakeside visitor centre at the 1km-long site next to the A45.
This has been a prestigious opportunity to enhance the our reputation for delivering high-profile retail and leisure projects.
“We are now fast approaching a date in March when some of the units within the three retail terraces will be handed over to the anchor retailers for fit-out,” explained Richard Black, our Project Manager for Rushden Lakes.
“The Phase One build has gone very well and is almost complete, while planning approval has been granted for Phases Two and Three.”
He added: “As you would expect with a project on such a large scale, there have been challenges, most of all managing change along the way. Since we first arrived on site, the project has grown quite considerably in size, while another important requirement has been working closely with all the different tenants of the units.”
Rushden Lakes will be anchored by M&S, House of Fraser and Primark, but also features many other High Street brands and smaller retailers.
Another crucial focus of the project has been consideration for the local environment, with the site sitting within the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits Special Protection Area where wetland birds spend their winters in the nature reserve.
Only 31 acres of the 222-acre site are being developed for retail and leisure, but the project also features the creation of 2.5km of pathways for woodland/lakeside walks to make it even more attractive to those visiting Rushden Lakes.
“The developers see the nature reserve as a key selling point for the new retail and leisure scheme in attracting visitors,” said Black.
“As a company committed to managing our projects in a way which minimises the impact on the environment, this has featured uppermost in our planning and delivery every step of the way while we have been on site.”