Extension planned to Sweet Briar Retail Park in Norwich creating up to 90 jobs

Sweet Briar Retail Park owners Eskmuir hold a public exhibition to show the public their plans for expansion. Artist impression. Byline: Sonya Duncan Copyright: Archant 2017 (Image: Archant 2017)

A pop-up exhibition was held at Sweet Briar Retail Park on Saturday, with almost 100 people visiting to find out more about the potential scheme.

Feedback will now be brought together to inform any future planning application from the development team.

Work is already under way at a new 25-acre site adjacent to Sweet Briar Retail Park, with a new Wickes store the first to put down roots.

Some 93 people visited the public exhibition on Saturday to ask questions to members of the development team and provide their feedback.

Kenneth Jamieson, asset manager at park owner's Eskmuir, said: 'We are proposing a £13m investment into Norwich to extend Sweet Briar Retail Park, improve the choice of shops, create approximately 60-90 new jobs, new pedestrian and cycle links and improvements to access to the retail park and the flow along Sweet Briar Road.

'Eskmuir has owned Sweet Briar Retail Park for nearly 30 years and, as a long term investor in Norwich, and following recent improvements to the park, including adding Ikea and Costa, plans for an extension are a natural next step.

'As part of these plans, we are proposing works to improve the flow of traffic along Sweet Briar Road by creating a dedicated right-turn lane at the traffic lights that will prevent the blocking of southbound traffic.

'In addition, there will be an extension of the left-turn exit from the retail park to provide additional capacity at the signal junction and enhanced safer pedestrian and cycle links to the Park.

'We have received very useful feedback at today's consultation event, which we will be considering when putting together our planning application that we aim to submit to Norwich City Council later this spring.'