A £24.3m vision for the "comprehensive redevelopment" of a town centre has taken another significant step forward.
A scheme that could see part of a car park demolished, with a new restaurant built along with a new community hub complete with café, civic square, pop up bars and competitive leisure uses have all been earmarked - provided plans get the go-ahead.
The plans for a major regeneration project in Lowestoft have progressed as part of a programme to reinvigorate the town centre.
With Lowestoft awarded £24.9m from the government's £3.6bn Towns Fund in 2021 for five key projects in the heart of the town, one of the regeneration schemes is a new Cultural Quarter.
This Cultural Quarter project - which is earmarked as costing £24.3m, with £14.3m from the government's Towns Fund and £10m from East Suffolk Council's Capital Fund - will see the redevelopment of East Suffolk's current Customer Services Centre and the former Battery Green multi-storey car park.
With the development set to provide a new cultural and community hub with studio space for creative businesses; a competitive leisure complex; restaurant and landscape enhancements, plans were submitted to East Suffolk Council last month.
The application for the Battery Green car park and surrounding land on the Marina road centres around: "Part demolition of the existing Battery Green car park and northern wing of the Marina Centre building, realignment of Marina road, the erection of a new circulation core in the retained car park area."
It includes: "Change of use of partially retained car park to competitive leisure use; new cultural building consisting of single and two storey elements, containing multi use hall, lobby, café, studio spaces, plant areas, restaurant and first floor multi use space" along with "externally providing new soft and hard landscaping with external lighting scheme to create new linkages and new public realm."
With the proposed site measuring "approximately 1.20 Hectares (2.96 acres)" a design and access and planning statements lodged by agents Chaplin Farrant on behalf of the applicant East Suffolk Council says: "This project aims to become the catalyst for bringing much needed increased vibrancy to Lowestoft town centre and enhancement of the Cultural Quarter as part of the town centre masterplan.
"The development will reinforce the distinctive qualities and character of Lowestoft and the region for all ages to enjoy.
"The scheme will provide both new and repurposed buildings which will provide cultural facilities and leisure spaces."
With the new build restaurant proposed opposite the Marina Centre - catering for about 80 people - above the restaurant will be an additional space for the community to use.
For the "competitive leisure uses", it adds: "While part of the car park will be demolished, the scheme will retain a large section of it for leisure uses such as urban mini golf, against the clock games such as virtual reality and escape rooms and family activities such as soft play and indoor climbing.
"A section of the first floor of the car park will be removed to create a new double height space to allow activities such as the climbing walls to be installed.
"The open space on the roof will be developed for a ‘pop up use’, with different types of activities being provided depending on the time of year - this could include pop up bars, outdoor cinema, exhibition and event spaces."
Of the "comprehensive redevelopment to form the Battery Green Cultural Quarter" in Lowestoft, it concludes: "It will result in visual enhancements and attract residents and visitors to this area and help meet the vision to create a cultural quarter in Lowestoft."
With the plans currently "awaiting decision", the project timeline is "subject to planning permission, demolition and build" - earmarked for between spring 2024 to winter 2025, ahead of the buildings opening in spring 2026.
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