7:36am Tuesday 9th March 2010
By Matt Smith
DEVELOPERS are to go before Southampton planners for a third time to resurrect plans for a landmark tower dubbed the “City Gateway”.
Health firm Care Capital has turned to a French construction giant Bouygues to bail out its stalled plans for the medical centre and apartment block in Swaythling.
The flagship project is already two years behind schedule after Bellway Homes pulled out of an earlier scheme then a deal with Swaythling Housing Association failed to stack up on a second set of plans.
Southampton City Council claimed the development at the junction of Stoneham Way and Thomas Lewis Way would “transform the area”.
Care Capital operations director Rick Hayes said the housing market crash and credit crunch had made it difficult to find the funding to start to project, worth up to £15m.
But now Bouygues has stepped in to provide upfront funding to get construction under way by the end of the year, through its Portsmouth based subsidiary Warings.
Revised plans will go before Southampton City Council in coming months, Mr Hayes said.
He added that the concept of the block of flats up to 13-storeys high, anchored by a state-of-the-art medical centre for the Stoneham Lane GP Surgery would be retained in a “good quality landmark building.”
The flats will be partly for sale on the open market with other available as more affordable homes.
A pharmacy and Co-op store are also planned, along with an NHS clinic and dental practice.
Mr Hayes said the issue of parking had yet to be resolved but could include underground lots.
Residents are concerned at the loss of youth facilities on the Parkville Road site.
Mr Hayes insisted they would be replaced.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.thisishampshire.net