Sites

The aim is to transform this area on a comprehensive basis by creating a major new city centre quarter to deliver economic growth and residential communities in a highly sustainable location, enhancing the city’s regional status.  The Quarter represents one of the largest regeneration / place making opportunities on the south coast.  The Quarter will create a distinctive and vibrant city centre environment which reflects the city’s identity and heritage, introduces extensive new green and blue spaces, reconnects the city to the waterfront and fundamentally enhances links between the Central Station, waterfront, Old Town and shopping area. 

The Mayflower Quarter will be delivered in phases, which are likely to occur over the short, medium and longer term to and beyond 2040.  The policy creates an overarching set of principles for the area, within which proposals for individual phases can be considered as they emerge over this period, to ensure each phase contributes to the overall long-term vision for the area as a new quarter. 

The Itchen Riverside is a mixed residential, employment and marine area.  The Itchen Riverside (West) lies within or close to the city centre, although with relatively poor connections to the core area.  The area includes Southampton Football Club’s stadium, and two strategic active mineral wharves.  The area is at risk of flooding, and a River Itchen Flood Alleviation scheme is proposed. 

The area policy sets an overall strategy to guide development sites as they emerge over the plan period (and beyond).  This enables incremental change to contribute to the long-term vision of the area as a place.  The area also includes 3 specific site development policies (for Chapel Riverside under construction, the Britannia Road gasworks site and Drivers Wharf).     

The aim is to continue to enhance the vibrant mix of uses within the community and place, open up the waterfront, reconnect the area to the core of the city centre, ensure flood management measures can be integrated and development is safe from flood risk.    

The area from Britannia Road to the south, including this stretch of waterfront, lies within the city centre (connected to the core city centre via the 'East – West Spine’ and ‘Itchen Riverside’ strategic links) and is closest to the waterside developments at Chapel Riverside and Ocean Village.  It also includes the football stadium.  This area is therefore key to connecting the city centre to the Itchen Riverside waterfront.  The area could provide a continuous waterfront walkway from Ocean Village / Chapel Riverside northwards, and should provide a higher proportion of more vibrant city centre uses (i.e. full or partial active frontages).  This area includes the two active mineral wharves, which are strategically important for supplying construction aggregates to Southampton and the wider area (and so for this Plan’s overall development strategy).  These wharves are likely to remain for the plan period to 2040, unless circumstances change and they can viably be relocated.  The policy sets a long term and robust strategy for the area, capable of responding to different circumstances.  It supports the creation of stronger links into the existing area and football stadium, which could also link to a future waterfront if the wharves relocated in the longer term.     

The area from Britannia Road to the north is outside the city centre, includes widespread general and marine industrial areas safeguarded by policies EC2 and EC3.  This area of the waterfront will continue to contribute to the marine sector, an important part of the overall economy.  This area also includes existing communities such as the Northam Estate, and potential new communities on new development sites.  These waterfront development sites adjacent to the main road across Northam Bridge will create a gateway into the central city.  These sites include Meridian, under construction, Drivers Wharf, and a possible option in policy EC2 to support the redevelopment of the Mount Pleasant industrial area adjoining the Meridian site). 

The site previously occupied by the Bargate Shopping Centre and the sites at Hanover Buildings and East of Castle Way will deliver high quality redevelopments in the heart of the primary shopping area, with retail and similar uses at street level. They provide the opportunity to open up and improve the setting of the Town Walls and Bargate monument.       

The Bargate area is a key link between Above Bar and the Westquay shopping centre to the north, the High Street and waterfront to the south, East Street, and  Westquay South and the Major Development Quarter to the west.  

The redevelopment will create vibrant uses along both key links and within the setting of key heritage assets, enhancing the city centre as a distinctive place.  
 

This area is in transition.  The former East Street Shopping Centre has been demolished and Debenhams have closed their store, vacating the Queens Building.  Following the demolition of the East Street Shopping Centre, the continuation of East Street has been recreated as a pedestrian route to reconnect the city centre with the community of St Marys.  To the north of the recreated street, new student accommodation has been provided (new build and a conversion of Capitol House from offices).  The site to the south remains vacant (there is a resolution to grant planning permission for a hotel, which is not currently being progressed).  A planning application has been received for a residential led redevelopment of the Queens Building (former Debenhams store).    

The recreated East Street forms part of the wider Itchen Riverside strategic link, from the city centre through to St Marys and the Itchen Riverside.  It is important to maintain and enhance this link, and to enhance the setting of the Central Parks. 

The site currently lies within the primary shopping area.  Policy IN2 includes an option to either retain or remove this area from the primary shopping area.  The decision taken on this for the next version of the plan will determine the range of uses suitable for the site. 

The Albion Place / Castle Way area is a key point of arrival for bus passengers in the city centre.  It is a key link between the historic Bargate, primary shopping area, the Old Town, Westquay south and wider Mayflower Quarter area, and a key part of the distinctive heritage of the city with the Town Walls and Castle Bailey.   

The aim is to enhance the area as a distinctive arrival point and a series of public spaces linking these key parts of the city centre, capitalising on and enhance the setting of these important heritage assets.  

    Contains Options

St Marys is a historic part of the city centre with archaeologically important sites relating to the middle-Saxon town of Hamwic and listed and locally listed buildings. It includes City College further education college to the south of St Marys, next to St Marys Church which has recently undergone significant refurbishment.  

The aim is to support further regeneration of St Marys and to improve its connections. Limited development is expected in St Marys but the old Northam Road area has the potential for more significant changes due to the derelict nature of some of the buildings and the levels of new investment now being put in. Old Northam Road provides an important link to St Mary’s stadium.  The redevelopment of the former gasholders site close to the stadium and the former East Street Centre site to the west offer opportunities to improve links and increase the number of people visiting the area.  

The aim of the policy is to retain commercial uses in the core of St Mary Street and meet the need for local convenience retailing and services whilst providing more flexibility for developers in terms of land uses outside the St Marys Street secondary shopping area. The policy also supports the Council’s objective for reinvestment in old Northam Road and allows for a wider range of uses that will provide a direct service to the public.  

College Street car park is located in the city centre, to the east of Holyrood and north of Oxford Street. It is located in a mixed residential and employment area which is dominated by a cluster of taller buildings of up to 17 storeys around Dukes Keep and Mercury Point. These buildings provide notable landmarks when viewed from the Itchen Bridge and St Marys Street.  

The nearby area has experienced significant change in the last decade with the construction of new tall buildings and conversion of existing office blocks to provide student and residential accommodation. The College Street car park is owned and operated by the City Council. Temporary permission was granted in late 2020 for use of the eastern half of the car park for a container park for a 10-year period. This provides converted shipping containers for retail, food and drink uses, shared office workspace and studio space for artists with associated events space.  

This policy aims to provide a framework for any future redevelopment and take opportunities for improvements in the public realm and links through the site.   

Centenary Quay is a major mixed-use development under construction on the edge of Woolston district centre on the site of the former Vosper Thorneycroft shipyard. Phases 1 and 2 of the redevelopment are already complete and Southampton’s tallest building is under construction. Development will regenerate and enhance a key waterfront site, help strengthen the local community and provide homes, jobs, services and facilities to serve the wider area.  

This policy continues the current approach to the redevelopment which seeks to deliver a high-quality mixed-use development with links to the waterfront and into Woolston district centre.  Centenary Quay received planning permission in 2009 for 1,620 homes, cafes, bars and shops and employment uses.