Southampton’s £100m Bargate Quarter Project Due To Start in Early 2020

But developers say they hope to finally begin building the much-anticipated Bargate Quarter early next year, if their amended plans get the green light.

James Burchell, partner of Tellon Capital said:“We’ve been working closely with the City Council to improve the scheme to create a development which will enhance the city centre taking into account changes in Southampton’s dynamics and delivers on everyone’s vision.

We’ve removed the student housing and instead introduced a hotel and are delighted to have secured terms with an operator.

“We’ve used the last twelve months to carry out significant archaeology investigations and have unearthed some important findings.

“We have also amended the scheme after listening to critics, to ensure the delivery of a truly first class scheme for the city.

“As soon as this latest planning application is approved we hope to make progress with the development on site early next year.”

The ambitious multi-million plans were first approved by Southampton City Council in January 2017.

The plans included the demolition of the failed Bargate Centre, opened in 1989, which developers want replace with a “terraced garden street” linking the 12th century Bargate monument to Queensway.

The initial plans included 152 private flats (63 x one bedroom and 89 x two bedroom), 80,000 square feet of shops with five commercial kiosks and accommodation for 451 students.

Work started in November 2017 with the gradual demolition of the Bargate Centre.

But work was dramatically halted in February this year after construction workers unearthed rare archaeological finds on the site.

The finds from the excavation, conducted by Southampton City Council Archaeology Unit, included a 14th century stone cannonball, a 15th century jar which once held liquid mercury, and a 17th century plate with a bare-breasted woman depicted on it.

ow the work has been completed, developers hope to get the Bargate Quarter back on track.

Through their new proposals, developers hope to strip out all 451 student rooms – which they say are “no longer viable due to diminishing demand and over supply of accommodation”.

In their place developers hope to add 100 new homes and the new 250 bed hotel.

Bosses behind the Bargate Quarter say they already have a client interested in the hotel, though they would not reveal the identity of the company.

Developers also hope to add another 32 homes by increasing the size of two planned housing blocks, while the plans still include 24 retail and restaurant units.

The city’s medieval town walls will remain as the centrepiece of the new development.

The amended plans have been praised by Labour’s Bargate councillor John Noon, who recently met with developers.

He said: “There were concerns among some residents that the plans were not going to go ahead because no development work was going on.

“But now there is a new application it looks like things are going to plan.

“I’m pleased they have removed the student accommodation and put in more residential and the hotel because I think it will bring more people into that part of the city and help revive the east side of the Bargate area.”

However Conservative parliamentary candidate for Southampton Itchen, Royston Smith, said he remained sceptical.