A South London shopping centre could be ‘demolished’ in five to ten years’ time, with a large number of shops in the space being left “unoccupied” as a result.
Riverside Shopping Centre in Erith, Bexley, could be knocked down in the next five to ten years, according to plans found on the Bexley Council website.
The news comes in planning documents from Se & Se Consultancy Ltd, on behalf of ICMG Bexley.
The planning application seeks to convert a unit in the shopping centre into a set of five classrooms.
It also said the large number of empty shops in the centre may allow for a lower price of rent to be achieved for the space.
Planning documents said: “It was mentioned that the owners of the shopping mall are considering demolishing the mall within the next five to ten years and replacing it with a new development.
“As a result, there is a significant number of unoccupied shops. ICMG Bexley plans to make use of this opportunity by renting space at below-market value for temporary use.”
The applicant described the arrangement as being “mutually beneficial”.
They said there was a transaction period for selling the site, which allowed ICMG Bexley to make temporary use of the space during this time.
The unit was previously an Argos store before closing in 2020, with other retail shops such as Wilko shutting its doors in the centre last September.
Photo from Google Earth
The former Argos space has also been used as a pop-up cinema by the Erith Town Partnership, a collective of local businesses aimed at promoting the area for residents.
The plans said the space would be well suited as a learning centre given its town centre location.
They also said internal changes to the unit would be “minimal” and modular wall panels would be used to provide the classrooms.
They said: “ICMG Bexley believes that good education is the key to building cultural identity and successful social integration for all age groups… Educational services are offered within the framework of an educational curriculum which is prepared in accompaniment with specialised staff while ICMG Bexley units provide a variety of educational activities appropriate to their target groups.”
Riverside Shopping Centre was bought by BYM Capital in 2021, after being listed by Savills that year for £18million.
The centre includes over 165,000 square feet of shop space and approximately 800 parking spaces.
A series of improvements to the centre were completed in 2022, including new shop fronts and a new dedicated unit to be used for free by local businesses.
A BYM Capital spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We are currently exploring different options for the site but haven’t as yet developed any plans for our long-term interest in the site.
“Any plans would include discussions with the council and the community including a public consultation as part of any major planning application.”
