Dacorum Borough Council has approved Capital & Regional’s plans for a £13m reconfiguration of the Marlowes shopping centre in Hemel Hempstead. The proposals, designed by tp bennett, include a new nine-screen cinema and the refurbishment of part of the centre to create a new six-unit dining cluster.
C&R bought the Marlowes shopping centre, which comprises 340,000 sq ft of retail space in Hemel Hempstead’s prime retail destination, for £35.5m in 2016. Since then the company has invested an additional £18.3m to consolidate its ownership in the town centre to enable the delivery of its long-term plans for the town centre.
The Marlowes shopping quarter comprises over 100 retail units across the Marlowes shopping centre and adjacent buildings on the Marlowes Street. Stores include Marks & Spencer, Argos, Wilko, River Island, Poundworld, New Look, JD, the Perfume Shop, Ernest Jones and the Entertainer.
Retail asset manager Gareth Holland, said: “These plans underline our strong vote of confidence in Hemel and we are very excited to get started on our programme of investment and improvement here. We want the Marlowes to support the renewal of Hemel and this decision brings that vision another step closer.”
