New plans for Peterborough's Hereward Cross Shopping Centre as retailers look to move in

Plans have been drawn up to alter the Hereward Cross Shopping Centre in Peterborough as retailers queue to fill vacant space inside the building.

HCP Investments, which owns the centre in Broadway, is looking to secure planning approval to make a number of internal alterations to the centre.

It comes after a number of retailers expressed an interest in moving into some of the space that was occupied by homeware retailer Wilko until its collapse in 2023.

Details and drawings by Ashman Architects, in Peterborough, show proposals to divide the former Wilko store into two units.

A smaller unit, number four, would occupy 439 square metres fronting Broadway.

It will be surrounded by a much larger Unit 5-6, which would occupy 1,500.8 square metres, sweeping round from a section of the Broadway frontage and occupying much of the rear of the former Wilko store with a frontage into Cattle Market Road.

Details submitted by Ashman Architects state: “The proposed scheme seeks to repurpose the vacant building, restoring it to active use and contributing to the overall revitalisation of Peterborough City centre.

"The proposal is for the division of the internal space from a single unit of 2111.2 square metres to two units with the additional area taken by an ancillary shared corridor area.

It adds: “This division is intended to optimise the use of the space while maintaining its current commercial purpose.

Will Elphinstone, director of Tydus Peterborough, which is marketing the centre jointly with Savills, said : “We have a couple of units under offer within the former Wilko unit on Broadway.

"It is too early to provide details about the offers but the split shown on the plans are to create the new units for the incoming tenants.

He added: “We’ve just let two other units on the Midgate frontage to new tenants so it’s generating good interest.”

Last July, HCP Investments, which has a 191-year long lease on the shopping centre, announced an agreement on a 10 year lease of the former William Hill unit to Peterborough-based BG Mini Market.