Planning application submitted for vacant Melton Mowbray shopping mall

The Mall, in Nottingham Street, has been targeted by vandals this year in a number of incidents since the last retailers left the premises.

Plans are now being progressed to redevelop the ground floor of the building from an open plan trading area into seven self-contained independent retail units.

The planning committee at Melton Borough Council will consider the proposals at a later date with the applicants saying the changes would revitalise the building and improve the look of that part of the town.

Plans submitted to the council state: “The existing inward-facing shopping mall arrangement is vacant, dated and no longer suited to modern retail requirements, resulting in poor natural surveillance and limited contribution to the vitality and viability of the town centre.

“The scheme proposes the subdivision of the existing retail accommodation into smaller, independently accessed commercial units fronting directly onto Nottingham Street.

“The proposed alterations include new entrance doorways, amendments to existing window openings, façade improvements and associated internal works designed to create a more active, attractive and commercially flexible street frontage.”

On why the changes need to be made to The Mall, the application continues: “Whilst historically intended to create a covered retail environment, the arrangement now presents a number of practical and operational limitations.

“The inward-facing configuration reduces visibility from the public realm and creates difficulties in relation to servicing, deliveries and independent unit operation.

“Furthermore, the layout offers limited flexibility for modern retail occupiers and is less suited to contemporary town centre trading patterns, particularly given the site’s position slightly removed from the primary retail core.

“The courtyard itself suffers from poor levels of natural daylight and passive surveillance, resulting in an environment that is unattractive, underused and vulnerable to anti-social behaviour.”

It adds: “In its current form, the space fails to provide an active or welcoming frontage to the street scene.

“The applicant therefore seeks to create a more vibrant and active frontage through the subdivision of the existing retail accommodation into individual units with direct access onto Nottingham Street.

“This approach would improve natural surveillance, enhance security, and provide greater flexibility for future occupiers through independent access and varied opening hours.”