A major new, retail led, mixed use destination for Broxbourne, Hertfordshire.

Following the resolution to grant outline planning permission for Brookfield Riverside at the Broxbourne Planning Committee in June 2023, the Section 106 legal agreement has now been signed and planning permission has been granted. The planning application was submitted by Carter Jonas acting on behalf of CBRE as development manager and Sovereign Peveril Brookfield Limited as the development partner for the Borough of Broxbourne and Hertfordshire County Council. This marks a major milestone for the combined Brookfield project, which also includes a new Garden Village at Cheshunt in Hertfordshire (which has a resolution to grant outline planning permission).

The site is allocated in the Broxbourne Local Plan 2018-2033, which was approved in 2020 by an independent Planning Inspector following a public examination.

The £500 million Brookfield Riverside development will create a new centre for the Borough with up to 315,000 sq ft of retail; 250,000 sq ft of leisure, restaurants and a cinema; 160,000 sq ft of offices including a new civic hub; approximately 250 homes and 100 assisted living units; a 2,000-space car park and major improvements to the public realm. It will generate approximately 2,000 jobs during construction and 2,500 new jobs on completion.

The development meets the requirements of the Local Plan, to: maximise street level activity and the night time economy; create a defined character of design and landmark buildings; develop public spaces focused on the New River; provide car parking to meet need; create exceptional public realm with extensive planting and landscaping and integrate with the existing retail park, M&S and Tesco stores, at a scale and mix to create vitality and viability.

The site is extremely well located, just north of junction 25 on the M25 and alongside the A10. The New River, which was created in 1613 to supply London with fresh drinking water and flows through the site, will form a focal point of attraction for the leisure and restaurant elements.

The approved plans include active travel routes which serve the Brookfield area as a whole – there are over 14km of pedestrian and cycle routes within the combined schemes, and these connect to the wider area including through improved underpasses to cross the A10. There will also be improvements to public transport in the form of new/improved bus services.

The development, alongside the neighbouring Garden Village, will provide a 10% increase in biodiversity through the extensive planting of additional trees, shrubs and flowers.

Carter Jonas has been providing planning advice to Sovereign Peveril Brookfield Limited on the project since 2019. Working with CBRE, Lyons Sleeman Hoare Architects, Waterman on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Mayer Brown on Highways and Transport, Carter Jonas led extensive pre-application engagement with the Council and key stakeholders up to the submission of the planning application in September 2022.

Chris Collett, Associate Partner, Planning and Development, Carter Jonas, said: “This is a significant step forward for this exciting regeneration project and Carter Jonas is pleased to have provided planning advice to reach this stage. The project demonstrates what can be achieved working in a truly collaborative approach with the local planning authority and other key stakeholders. We look forward to seeing the development come to life over the next few years.”

Chris Geaves, Managing Director of Asset and Development Management at CBRE said: “Having successfully secured outline planning permission marks a key milestone in this transformative, urban regeneration project. It is one of the last opportunities of its kind in the UK and will create a new heart for shopping and leisure in a superb location. The local community's feedback has been vital in shaping our plans for the new town centre, and we’re excited about the next phase in delivering the scheme."