Council bosses seek a developer to provide world-class city waterfront

12:05pm Monday 15th March 2010 in News Photograph of the Author By Matt Smith, Politics and business reporter

WATERFRONT: Mayflower Park and the Royal Pier WATERFRONT: Mayflower Park and the Royal Pier

THE hunt for a developer to transform South-ampton’s Royal Pier area into a world-class waterfront will be launched today.

Council bosses have pledged to get the best architects and developers in the business to compete for the chance to reshape the area around Mayflower Park.

It has been described as the most prestigious waterfront opportunity in the country and could feature offices, at least two hotels, restaurants, marine related shops, luxury flats, an 8,000-seater indoor arena and a Las Vegas-style casino, particularly to entertain the growing number of cruise visitors.

The derelict Royal Pier behind Kuti’s Royal Thai Pier restaurant would be demolished and in its place a new promenade would stretch from Mayflower Park, across land raised from the seabed, to Town Quay.

The council’s Cabinet member for economic development Councillor Royston Smith said the priority was to get people closer to the waterfront and to transform the Royal Pier district into a “destination location to be proud of”, while securing the long-term future of the Southampton Boat Show.

Cllr Smith said: “This has to be a big draw. It’s not going to be block of flats on the waterfront.

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“We want world-class architects and world-class developers. There will be no question of dumbing down with this. It will last for a generation to come and it has to be right.”

Colin Banyard, chairman of Kilbride, said his firm would be at the front of the queue to become the preferred developer.

He insisted the waterfront had all the elements to be transformed in the same way as Boston, Vancouver and Darling Harbour in Sydney.

While few new ideas have come forward, Cllr Smith said he thought Kilbride had done a good job assessing the development over the past 18 months.

He said problems had been identified and the groundwork laid for more detailed proposals.

A plot stretching from Royal Pier to the De Vere roundabout and Holiday Inn hotel, and encompassing Mayflower Park and part of Southampton Water has been earmarked for development.

The project will require the relocation of the Red Funnel terminal, likely to Town Quay marina or berth 101, and the costly reclamation of the seabed to extend the site.

Southampton City Council will now jointly market the site with ABP, which owns Royal Pier, and fellow landowner Crown Estates.

The council will tender for developers this summer.

However, it is not expected a brick will be laid for two or three years.

Comments(38)

DCM says...
12:14pm Mon 15 Mar 10

They have to get this right - mess this up and the opportunity to give Southampton a decent waterfront will be gone forever.

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hulla baloo says...
12:47pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Restaurants,marine related shops, luxury flats etc, reminds me of something.
Ah yes, a bit like ocean village, but a bit more ambitious, and possibly a heavier fall.
Just replace the pier and leave the rest as open land.
We have a casino down the road, along with plenty of shops and hotels.
Leave us a bit of green area to relax and watch the liners.

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james47 says...
12:56pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Personally I think this is an brilliant idea. Its good to see Southampton City Council having some vision for the future. The jobs created will be useful for the city in the current recession.

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Lucius Curtis says...
1:08pm Mon 15 Mar 10

I don't trust SCC to get it right. Personally, I love Mayflower Park as it is. I have no interest in seeing more hotels, casinos and overpriced flats ruining this lovely little area

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Family Man says...
1:08pm Mon 15 Mar 10

It's a great idea... BUT, and it is a very big "BUT"...there were the same opportunities at Ocean Village - which is now just a mish-mash of flats and offices, and of course, much more recently at the former Vospers site in Woolston...which again is due to be a mish mash of flats with a small amount of businesses. Will this development be any different? Somehow I doubt it as the only way it will be financed is through the development of a huge number of luxury/prestige apartments...pack'em in as close and as high as possible...

This has the possiblity of being much better than Gun Wharf Quays, but somehow I doubt it will ever be any more than an apartment development with the occasional token bar thrown in to pacify the punters...and perhaps more hotels...and in essence virtually nothing there for Southampton residents....

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southy says...
1:19pm Mon 15 Mar 10

i agree with hulla baloo just replace the pier and leave the rest a lone. its a nice open place and a very good fishing spot. there to much developement on the water front all ready. if any thing they should make it a public hard for locals to replace the ones that we all ready have lost on the southampton test side there been 4 lost that the public could of used for free in the 80 to 90 years.

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Lone Ranger says...
1:45pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Two words that strike fear into all locals hearts.....FLATS and HOTELS.
For god's sake can we have something that does not revolve around these two towering eyesores. Whilst Cllr Smith may say..."It's not going to be a block of flats on the waterfront" i dont have much faith in him delivering.

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Bassett Boy says...
1:50pm Mon 15 Mar 10

I would avise all would be developers not to put too much time & effort into the planning process, cause if previous projects are anything to go by "it aint gonna happen"

I believe the council meet in their chambers with no 1 on the agenda being:
"What cr@p suggestion can we come up with next, that will make headlines and distract the public from realising that we don't actually do anything worthwhile"

Oh dear, I'm getting more and more cynical as I get older!

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Carpe Diem says...
2:14pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Retaining the green space and open access to the waterfront at Mayflower Park should be a non-negotiable condition of any development.

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geoff51 says...
2:38pm Mon 15 Mar 10

southy wrote:
i agree with hulla baloo just replace the pier and leave the rest a lone. its a nice open place and a very good fishing spot. there to much developement on the water front all ready. if any thing they should make it a public hard for locals to replace the ones that we all ready have lost on the southampton test side there been 4 lost that the public could of used for free in the 80 to 90 years.
For once I agree with you, there are not many places in this waterfront city where you can actually see the water.
The usual mish mash of developments in the past have destroyed our biggest asset as a tourist destination namely our port and our history,
Not everbody wants to shop and anyway they cant afford the Parking charges!

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MrGMan says...
2:49pm Mon 15 Mar 10

If the pier was to be replaced on it's own, who would pay for it?

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Jerry Parsons says...
3:29pm Mon 15 Mar 10

I agree whole heartedly with Southy & Hulla balloo.

Just for once, could they leave things alone & let us make our own amusements with a bit of open space.

If we want an Ocean village experience, then we'll go to ....Ocean Village!

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IanRRR says...
3:31pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Understand this SCC... We will not tolerate ANY development at Mayflower park. We, the people of the Southampton area, have a right to this open space, in law. We will simply not allow you to build on it. But help yourselves to the pier area, provided that you cater for sea anglers.

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OSPREYSAINT says...
3:34pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Whatever it is the sooner the better, the place is a disgrace at the moment, a newspaper article this morning says we are the most welcoming city in the UK., not everywhere if you look at the current shambles of a waterfront!
S/W walk-area !! uncanny

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southy says...
3:44pm Mon 15 Mar 10

MrGMan wrote:
If the pier was to be replaced on it's own, who would pay for it?
make it belong to the people of southampton maybe even put a marine museum on the end of it.

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IanRRR says...
3:46pm Mon 15 Mar 10

james47 wrote:
Personally I think this is an brilliant idea. Its good to see Southampton City Council having some vision for the future. The jobs created will be useful for the city in the current recession.
Vision for the future? Southampton City Council? No, not going to happen!
Oh, and by the time they decide anything, the recession will be a distant memory. If they had any vision for the future, they would open up our waterfront, but no, they want to build more flats and hotels....
No-one wants the ones that we have already, yet here they are, talking about repeating the same mistakes, yet again. Our waterfront is our unique opportunity, yet we seem intent on covering every last inch of it in bricks and concrete. Oh how our children will cry at the missed opportunity in years to come. Want to see a great City, with a fantastic waterfront, and an economy that benefits? Take a look at Plymouth...loads of development, but in total sympathy with the open landscape. Result!

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The Wickham Man says...
3:47pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Yes I'm happy to agree with Southy for a change. The contrast between Southampton and that other great Maritime city Liverpool is telling. In Liverpool the waterfront has been opened up to people at every possible opportunity and the effect has transformed the city. Liverpudlians now feel more a part of their maritime heritage and have become proud of it as a defining force in the shaping of their society. The open waterfront has rejuvinated the city's architecture, and encouraged a former inward looking and suspicious population to look to new horizons both metaphorically and literally. I am still amazed at the importance architecture has to enrich our lives and our quality of life. (I have Jonathan Meades to thank for opening my eyes in that regard).

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Jammy Donut says...
4:09pm Mon 15 Mar 10

what happens to the annual Boat Show ? the only viable event that brings in visitors to spend money in the city.
Over the past two years the Echo has "revealed" at least 5 other schemes that were going to be signed up any minute.
How about some real investigative reporting on how the "catch 22" is always the obligatory flats and hotel to make the developer big bucks and some quirky feature that suckers in the Council - Spitfires on sticks, Titanic museums in Tents etc.

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geoff51 says...
4:49pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Jammy Donut wrote:
what happens to the annual Boat Show ? the only viable event that brings in visitors to spend money in the city. Over the past two years the Echo has "revealed" at least 5 other schemes that were going to be signed up any minute. How about some real investigative reporting on how the "catch 22" is always the obligatory flats and hotel to make the developer big bucks and some quirky feature that suckers in the Council - Spitfires on sticks, Titanic museums in Tents etc.
The Boat Show may bring a few people into Southampton for one week of the year, but what about the rest of the year? The people of Southampton deserve better than another Hotel/ Flats complex.
Let them have free access to the waterfront, with something to attract visitors not a tatty old park that for 3 months of the year is closed for the Boat Show preparations.
Ask the people what they want do not give them something they do not want

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southy says...
5:01pm Mon 15 Mar 10

geoff51 wrote:
Jammy Donut wrote:
what happens to the annual Boat Show ? the only viable event that brings in visitors to spend money in the city. Over the past two years the Echo has "revealed" at least 5 other schemes that were going to be signed up any minute. How about some real investigative reporting on how the "catch 22" is always the obligatory flats and hotel to make the developer big bucks and some quirky feature that suckers in the Council - Spitfires on sticks, Titanic museums in Tents etc.
The Boat Show may bring a few people into Southampton for one week of the year, but what about the rest of the year? The people of Southampton deserve better than another Hotel/ Flats complex.
Let them have free access to the waterfront, with something to attract visitors not a tatty old park that for 3 months of the year is closed for the Boat Show preparations.
Ask the people what they want do not give them something they do not want
the park is not close for 3 mths of the year, there a 10 day max that park is allowed to be close for. the council is only the guardians to the park.

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allsaintsnocurves says...
5:38pm Mon 15 Mar 10

The main difference between this site and Ocean Village all all the others in southampton is it is prime location...it has to be attractive looking from the sea for all the cruise liners coming in and going out...and it has to be more of a draw than just mayflower park is at the moment.

Top class architects is a start especially if they have ambitious plans up their sleeve with comparisons to Sydney and Boston. I don't think people think of those places because of the flats there or that they have a super casino though so i will be very interested to see what the designers come up with.

It's about time Southampton had something to rival the Spinnaker tower...maybe the concert venue can be a design like the Sydney Opera house and be the corner stone to the city...

SW: able-area

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Jammy Donut says...
6:40pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Whatever your smoking can I have some............

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Ian24 says...
6:53pm Mon 15 Mar 10

This is just a chance for a few years of jollies.
Of places like Sydney and Boston on "fact finding trips" rather than to get anything built.
Free trips for freemasons.

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allsaintsnocurves says...
7:08pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Jammy Donut wrote:
Whatever your smoking can I have some............
sure...all you have to do is spit out the negative rubbish you've been sipping on and try something new...something altogether optimistic...just maybe they might get this right and Southampton will have a snowdome, and ice rink and people actually commenting on how the city has improved.

Now i'm not saying for one minute that i've been happy about all the visions of this and the previous councils because to be perfectly honest I think they should have had a much better vision for the transportation around the city centre years ago and we would all be reaping the benefits of it now!

There are a few plots in Southampton though that are quite exciting with what they can do with them...and I'm sure they will be looking to avoid another Ocean Village disaster!

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Justabloke says...
7:15pm Mon 15 Mar 10

None of this will ever happen. As soon as the Boat Show ("It's YOUR Boat Show" LOL) decide it's not in their interest it will be shelved. Remember the play park? I'm just glad I had a chance to show my kids the peculiar wonder of the old park that I grew up with, before they moved it and replaced it with another "rent-a-park".

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v_dubman2005 says...
7:41pm Mon 15 Mar 10

What a great idea lads. And think less grass to cut. And what about a hotel for those poor souls that have cooped up in their floating hotels? Ahhhh, Houston I see a problem. They have bought their hotels with them.

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Waysider says...
7:56pm Mon 15 Mar 10

As an old Eastleighite, i have no axe to grind for Southampton's woes. But i well remember that the bait digger lived in the second door on the left through West Gate and a dozen worms cost sixpence. A penny in the slot gave you a pier ticket, and i could sit on the point all saturday afternoon dangling my handline over for the flatties, and bring em up two at a time. there was a paddle steamer every hour to keep me amused, and every- body was friendly and free and easy. the water was clean and the flounders tasted lovely........ The year was 1946 and i was 10. They can do what they like with the place, but it won't better the times gone by.

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Condor Man says...
9:10pm Mon 15 Mar 10

I'd like for there to be somewhere where I can take my family of a weekend which wasn't a shop. On the continent you'll find families going out of a weekend together- over here you just see kids out on their own or following mum around West Quay. Anything to improve the atmosphere of this stagnant city is surely a good thing

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Southampton Heart says...
9:13pm Mon 15 Mar 10

I'd love to have a go.....who needs an Architect to come up with a fancy concept!!!.

I'll design a scheme free of charge.

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Lord Ikea says...
9:45pm Mon 15 Mar 10

SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE !!!! Been there twice its rubbish. Sydney is a city that is so crowded you cannot drive around it, all the major roads are pre-pay toll roads. The Aussies never go to there. Full of tourists.

Why are people so dead keen to "attract visitors to Southampton"? All they do is clog up the roads and car parks fill the shops while they do window shopping and generally get in the way of normal Southampton folk trying to do their shopping.

Some might say visitors bring in money to the area but they don't. They spend money in American owned burger shops or coffee bars or swedish furniture outlets.

The boat show is for outsiders who drive in for the day and then drive home again, last year the organisers where trying hard to encourage locals to actually go to it.

Let the council make Southampton nice for the people who live here and call it home and encorage more locals to come into town. It is like making your house nice for visitors but you don't like living there.

I call Southampton home and I love Southampton but if this carbukle goes ahead I'm moving to Sydney (at least it's sunny there).

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Southampton Heart says...
10:43pm Mon 15 Mar 10

Southampton Heart wrote:
I'd love to have a go.....who needs an Architect to come up with a fancy concept!!!. I'll design a scheme free of charge.
I'd start with:
a) interesting walkways (for all) along side or over the water
b) hi-tec water features with music and lights
c) a sculpture...like the Spitfire (as mentioned last year).
d) etc etc.

The above could be arranged around Mayflower Park....keeping the lawned areas and planting to a high standard.

See...sorted....I just saved the Council time and money. LOL.

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The Wickham Man says...
7:20am Tue 16 Mar 10

Southampton Heart wrote:
I'd love to have a go.....who needs an Architect to come up with a fancy concept!!!.

I'll design a scheme free of charge.
And it would be rubbish. If you don't even understand what the job of an architect entails (which you clearly don't) why bother posting?

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v_dubman2005 says...
9:29am Tue 16 Mar 10

The Wickham Man wrote:
Southampton Heart wrote:
I'd love to have a go.....who needs an Architect to come up with a fancy concept!!!.

I'll design a scheme free of charge.
And it would be rubbish. If you don't even understand what the job of an architect entails (which you clearly don't) why bother posting?
Hey Wickham. Do you see that bit on the end of Hearts next post"LOL"...........
.Thats there to show it was a joke........Get it now?

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MrGMan says...
10:36am Tue 16 Mar 10

I'd still like to know who is going to pay for the redevelopment on the royal pier and all these fancy things being suggested on this thread.

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Beer Monster says...
1:08pm Tue 16 Mar 10

Had a feeling this was on the rounds - there was a rumour going that the Hythe Ferry was going to get a new terminal to launch from Town Quay.

It's currently running from the Red Jet terminal due to health and safety issues...

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Waysider says...
3:11pm Tue 16 Mar 10

MrGMan wrote:
I'd still like to know who is going to pay for the redevelopment on the royal pier and all these fancy things being suggested on this thread.
The answer MrGMan, is in the mirror on your wall.

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Southampton Heart says...
8:28pm Tue 16 Mar 10

v_dubman2005 wrote:
The Wickham Man wrote:
Southampton Heart wrote: I'd love to have a go.....who needs an Architect to come up with a fancy concept!!!. I'll design a scheme free of charge.
And it would be rubbish. If you don't even understand what the job of an architect entails (which you clearly don't) why bother posting?
Hey Wickham. Do you see that bit on the end of Hearts next post"LOL"........... .Thats there to show it was a joke........Get it now?
Haha....Mr Wickham....only if you knew what my job was........eat your words...and get back to your bed before the Nurse comes.

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Southampton Heart says...
8:30pm Tue 16 Mar 10

v_dubman2005 wrote:
The Wickham Man wrote:
Southampton Heart wrote: I'd love to have a go.....who needs an Architect to come up with a fancy concept!!!. I'll design a scheme free of charge.
And it would be rubbish. If you don't even understand what the job of an architect entails (which you clearly don't) why bother posting?
Hey Wickham. Do you see that bit on the end of Hearts next post"LOL"........... .Thats there to show it was a joke........Get it now?
Haha....Mr Wickham....only if you knew what my job was........eat your words...and get back to your bed before the Nurse comes.

PS: I thought I'd post this twice in case you didn't get it Mr Wickham.

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