Leatherhead town centre set to be transformed by new partnership deal

Published by

Giles Gwinnett

Clive Pearce - picture contributed

A development partnership, which aims to reinvent Leatherhead's town centre, has been advised by national law firm Freeths.

The law firm has been acting for Mole Valley District Council (MVDC) on the new joint venture partnership, now struck with Kier Property Developments, for over two years.

Freeths said the deal would see the redevelopment and rejuvenation of the Swan Centre, a shopping centre in the heart of the Surrey town, in a bid to create a thriving shopping and leisure destination.

Additionally, this initiative includes a residential-led mixed use development of Bull Hill to create much needed housing in the form of new apartments, a new community space, public open space, a hotel, public car parking and office space.

It is all part of the council's 'Transform Leatherhead' regeneration vision.

Real estate partner Clive Pearce from Freeths said: "It’s been really exciting working on this transaction with our long-standing client Mole Valley District Council, and this recent joint venture means significant progress in achieving the desired end result for the Council and its stakeholders.

"The deal has not only strengthened our client relationship, it also draws upon our extensive sector capabilities. We look forward to seeing the next stage of development."

The partnership will now look to begin the first phase of public engagement and will identify and co-ordinate engagement with residents, businesses, and visitors to the town.

Freeths is a top 50 commercial law firm and has a 1,000-strong team in 13 UK offices, in Birmingham, Bristol, Derby, Glasgow, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Oxford and Sheffield.

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Giles Gwinnett

Giles Gwinnett is a writer at The Business Magazine. He has been a journalist for more than 20 years and covered a vast array of topics at a range of media settings - in print and online. After his NCTJ newspaper training, he became a reporter in Hampshire before moving to a news agency in Gloucestershire. In recent years, he has been covering the financial markets along with company news for an investor-focused web portal. His many interests include politics, energy and the environment. He lives in Dorset.