Redical, the real estate owner and operator founded by Mikko Syrjanen and Petteri Barman, has appointed leading developer, HUB, to deliver the next phase in the transformation of The Liberty Romford, the town’s dominant shopping centre.
Havering Council has developed a masterplan to create a vibrant, mixed-use town centre, with a key element being the creation of new places for people to live in the heart of the town. The Council has identified The Liberty as the focal point of what the masterplan can achieve, and proposes up to 110,000m2 of new residential accommodation. In response, Redical is seeking to play its part in helping to realise the Council’s vision for Romford, which is ranked by CACI as the number one satellite town in Greater London.
Working with Redical and its on-site team, HUB will engage with the local community and other stakeholders, including retailers at The Liberty, to develop proposals to enhance the properties and land surrounding The Liberty Romford. The plans could also include the creation of modernised retail space adjacent to the residential.
HUB brings a strong track record of delivering successful regeneration schemes to the project. These include Wembley Link, which transformed a back land site to deliver 495 build-to-rent homes, and One Maidenhead, where last year HUB completed 429 homes and a new public garden square, with work continuing to deliver Trehus, its Waugh Thistleton-designed timber-framed office building.
Adding residential to The Liberty will build upon the already significant multi-million pound enhancements implemented by Redical since it acquired the centre in 2022. Under its asset management strategy of ‘transformation through accumulation’, it has already delivered:
- A strengthened retail and F&B mix, welcoming sector-leading brands such as Rituals, MINISO, Pret A Manger and Black Sheep Coffee, the latter two having made their London borough debuts at The Liberty;
- Placemaking improvements, including frictionless car parking, CCTV and cleaning upgrades, and the creation of a new centre management suite;
- A revitalised brand identity and destination refresh, soon to be revealed through new entranceways and wayfinding signage, reinforcing The Liberty Romford’s evolving position in the market;
- Enhanced leasing and asset management expertise, with new appointments, including Leasing Manager Daniel Tucker and Asset Manager Javeria Hussain, alongside partnerships with Savills as property manager, and Cushman & Wakefield and Green & Partners to enhance the centre’s tenant portfolio
Taking a phased approach, the plans will complement Redical’s improvements to date, which have seen The Liberty’s strong performance continue to grow, while also driving the regeneration of the surrounding area.
Stephen Daniels, head of asset management and regeneration at Redical, said: “Building on our work to transform The Liberty Romford, the addition of residential will bring a different dimension to the centre, one with the potential to significantly enhance the contribution it makes to Romford, economically, socially, and practically. HUB shares our vision and commitment to getting this right for Romford, and the team’s experience will be vital in realising The Liberty’s full potential and delivering the Council’s vision.”
Damien Sharkey, managing director of HUB, added: “HUB is a strong advocate for the transformative power of regeneration that benefits communities, and our focus is on helping shape outstanding places. Romford offers fantastic transport links, an established community and sense of place, and plenty of opportunity. There is significant potential for us to support Redical’s good work in making this bustling community hub even better than before, and we look forward to contributing to its next phase of additive development. We will now be working with the community and the shopping centre’s occupants to decide how we can best bring forward the next chapter for The Liberty.”
Consultation on the plans will be conducted throughout the spring and summer, ahead of Redical and HUB making a planning application in the autumn.
