A planning application has been lodged with Glasgow City Council and subject to consent, construction is scheduled to begin in September 2006 with completion due in time for Christmas 2009. The developer has already held preliminary talks with the council which is broadly supportive.

According to The Mills' European director of leasing Richard Kingston the entrance at the junction of Argyle Street and Buchanan Street will be upgraded to pull shoppers down Buchanan Street and into the scheme.

Plans also involve an extensive refurbishment of the existing mall areas and the redevelopment of St Enoch's Square into a new community facility for Glasgow.

And Kingston said a strong leisure offer, with a cinema and numerous bars and restaurants, would be a hallmark of the scheme. He said Mills would also be looking to exploit its relationships with major entertainment corporations to inject new attractions into the centre.

Burgin Dossett, The Mills' group vice president, development for Europe, said: "Since we acquired St Enoch Centre in 2005 with our joint venture partner Ivanhoe Cambridge, we have been formulating a redevelopment strategy that would enhance the productivity of the centre and re-establish St Enoch Centre as the dominant retail and leisure anchor for Glasgow's city centre.

"We believe the plans will accomplish that goal, and play a pivotal role in reinforcing the strength of the retail sector in Glasgow's city centre as well as making a major contribution to the wider regeneration of the city."

The Mills is also working on plans for a major out-of-town scheme at Ravenscraig, south of Glasgow. Kingston shrugged off any fears of oversupply. "Glasgow is still the second most important retail destination in the UK after London," he said. "Obviously we're looking at the competition but our aim is to strengthen the city centre."

l Scottish survey page 18

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