Residents’ chance to view Cornhill Walk proposals

Developers hoping to turn the empty Cornhill Walk mall into shops and flats have shown their ideas to its neighbours.

C&G Properties held a six-hour public exhibition at the Bury St Edmunds building yesterday to get locals’ views on their ideas before applying for planning permission.

Shawn Lambert, a director of PWP Architects, said: “For an architectural themeing we’ve had a play with Moyse’s Hall, having arched windows, for example. Our proposal is to make a classical elevation that reflects historically what was here and is more sympathetic with Bury town centre.”

He and C&G chairman Peter Murphy stressed everything was inside the existing building and would be no higher. Mr Murphy said: “The thing about this building is it’s very strong – with what we’re putting above the shops we won’t have to do anything special to it.”

The first floor was warehousing for shops below, so is a deep concrete slab to take the weight. The plan is to add an internal steel frame for two or three floors of flats.

Residents seemed to welcome it being developed but had reservations about so many new neighbours.

Annie Page said: “Wells Street is like a private village street with a sense of community. This feels like the town centre will be pulling itself around us.”

Her neighbour Lynda Seldis added: “I think 64 flats is too many for the site.”

She also feared they would lose parking spaces, but C&G staff said several people had mentioned this so it would be looked at.