Charter Place transformation set to get underway

The project to transform Charter Place and intu Watford into a destinational retail and leisure hub will begin today (Monday 2nd) as part of a multi-million pound investment plan by intu. The process of demolishing part of the shopping centre will last for up to four months. The first stage will be removing all benches, litter bins, paving slabs and cycle racks from the area and sending them off to be used elsewhere. Elected Mayor of Watford Dorothy Thornhill said: “Despite the scale of work, disturbance to local business will be kept to an absolute minimum.  The project will help make Watford future-proof, so our town remains the wealthy and prosperous place it is today. Our town has fared exceptionally well through the recession and is now in a very strong place commercially as the economy gathers speed.” The intu Watford extension project is the largest of its kind to have happened at the shopping centre since Charter Place opened in 1976. It will be funded by intu – who acquired the site from Watford Borough Council in 2013. The project will create a 1.4 million sq.ft. single retail and leisure destination. Continuing their 25 years of investment in the town, intu will be creating space for up to 16 shops, 10 restaurants, a nine-screen IMAX cinema and leisure offering. A public square will be created that will host a diverse events programme, such as street art and music shows. The project will create 1,900 jobs. Councillor Mark Watkin, portfolio holder for finance, said: “Working in partnership with intu, we have planned this transformation very carefully. This is why so many shops have been closing down recently. People will see hoarding going up in the town centre, but for the most part it will be business as usual. Watford has a thriving economy being a prime location for business, industry and shopping. It is already a successful commercial hub and popular place for people to live, work and visit and the Charter Place redevelopment project will add to this.”