Initial sales figures for the 80,000 sq ft Debenhams anchor store, Next and H&M have all exceeded expectations, and these shops have already been pulling people in from north Glasgow, Dumfries and even Carlisle. Other retailers, including HMV, Primark, Au Naturale, Subway and Costa Coffee, will open during the summer.

In the latest deal JD, formerly known as JD Sports, has agreed terms for the 4,150 sq ft unit 5. Like all the other units at Ayr Central, the store has the potential for a full-cover mezzanine, which provides retailers with very economical trading space.

Henry Boot Developments manager Alan Kinloch says: "JD is a major success story in UK high street retailing, especially in the current difficult climate. I am delighted that they're relocating off the high street into the centre of this development as this further demonstrates that retailers now consider Ayr Central to be the new prime pitch in Ayr."

Although Ayr's immediate catchment is around 76,000, 1.4 million shoppers, or a third of Scotland's population, live within 30 miles of Ayr Central. To make life easy for car-borne shoppers, Ayr Central features the largest single level underground car park in the UK with 495 dedicated spaces.

Letting agents are Springford & Co, Culverwell and Jones Lang LaSalle.

As one Scottish centre completes, another one starts on site: London & Regional properties has now started construction on the long-awaited Antonine Centre in Cumbernauld.

January 2004 saw the completion of the first phase, providing a Tesco store on 100,000 sq ft, and the 250,000 sq ft second phase is due to open in May 2007. There will be 42 shops including Dunnes Stores, Next, TK Maxx, Woolworths and JJB Sports, along with 3,000 parking spaces.

The Antonine Centre is designed to integrate with the existing town centre via lifts, escalators and walkways, and the local authority has been keen to see the development move ahead in order to stem the leakage of spending power out of Cumbernauld. CACI estimates that the Antonine Centre will increase spend in Cumbernauld by 84 per cent.

In Glasgow, work is well advanced on a 75-acre site at Junction 2 on the M77, where Silverburn, Scotland's largest ever purpose-built retail scheme, will open its doors in autumn 2007. Retail Property Holdings is redeveloping the old Pollok shopping centre with 1 million sq ft of retail space. The developer claims Silverburn is the first in a new generation of regional shopping destinations and its prominent location, with its own motorway junction, means there are 1.6 million shoppers within a 30-minute drive of the site. The core catchment takes in Glasgow's wealthy southern suburbs.

Again CACI has been studying the potential impact of the scheme, and it estimates it will capture 7.1 per cent of Scotland's entire retail spend. Director Ken Gunn says: "The scheme will attract good quality but currently underserved shoppers from an extensive retail catchment, and this strong market potential leads CACI to believe that Silverburn will sit within the top five retail destinations in Scotland."

Debenhams and Marks & Spencer are signed as anchor stores and the site will also house Tesco's largest Scottish store. CBRE is letting agent.

However, while Silverburn is on schedule, another major scheme to the south of Glasgow could face delays because of corporate activity on the other side of the Atlantic. Mills Corporation has plans for another million-sq ft scheme at Ravenscraig, as part of the wider regeneration of the former steelworks. After a string of accounting scandals, Mills looks to be 'in play' as they say in the City.

The massive US REIT Vornado and the Australian-based Westfield have both been mentioned as potential bidders. Whoever ends up owning the scheme is likely to want to put their own stamp on the project, which could add further delays to a scheme that has already been held up by numerous legal challenges, and a House of Lords case is still pending.

John Menzies, retail partner at Donaldsons, points out that there is a third big player in the Glasgow market at Glasgow Harbour, which could accommodate 300,000 sq ft of retail. "Glasgow is becoming over- shopped," he says. "The city`s population is projected to fall gradually over the next 10 years and with retail spend broadly fixed, it is a case of the cake being cut more ways. There is approximately 2.5 million sq ft of retail space planned over the next five years, some with and some yet to obtain planning consent. All this will have considerable impact on Glasgow city centre."

Edinburgh, on the other hand, appears to have avoided the pitfalls of overdevelopment. However, a recent big investment deal could clear the way for a long-awaited city centre development. Henderson's UK Shopping Centre Fund bought the 450,000 sq ft St James Centre from Irish investor Donegal Place Investments for £184m, and then bought the adjacent 240,000 sq ft St James House office block from Morgan Stanley.

It plans to combine the two sites and will be looking to appoint a design team shortly to progress its proposals for a comprehensive redevelopment.

The existing centre, which fronts onto Leith Street and Multrees Walk, is anchored by John Lewis and includes over fifty stores including Top Shop, Next, River Island and HMV. However its design, dating from 1973, is not thought to be compatible with its setting in Edinburgh's New Town, which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Henderson's fund manager Myles White says: "There is considerable demand for modern retail space within the city centre but a distinct lack of supply. We are aware of demand for at least 500,000 sq ft of quality new retail space, and given the planning restrictions in the city centre, St James is the only site that can accommodate this amount of new space in a modern format and comfortable environment."

BTW Shiells acted on behalf of the vendor and Cushman & Wakefield and Morgan Williams acted on behalf of Henderson.

Because the site is now in one ownership, the St James project will likely steal a march on Edinburgh City Centre Management's plans to revitalise the major retail core of the city, by developing between Princes Street, Rose Street and George Street.

Multi Development has been appointed to advise on the £1 billion project. Since its appointment last autumn MDC has been speaking to all the major property owners and tenants as well as new retailers about their aspirations and needs. It is likely that this will lead to the selective redevelopment of Princes Street, coupled with the retention of buildings important to Edinburgh's heritage.

Managing Director Paul Sargent says: "We are absolutely delighted to have been selected as strategic development partner to assist in helping Edinburgh's beautiful city centre become even more attractive to residents, shoppers and investors.

"We are realistic about the scale of the task and are very exited to work in such a market place that has worldwide recognition. Our aim is to be pragmatic and help ECCM and its partners deliver workable solutions."

In Dundee, the Scottish Executive has ratified the city council's resolution to grant planning permission for the proposed 215,000 sq ft extension to Overgate, one of Scotland's most successful retail destinations. The proposed extension includes a major anchor store and a further 40 units over two levels complementing the existing 420,000 sq ft centre and forming a link between the city's retail core and the emerging cultural quarter.

Developer Lend Lease believes the extended Overgate will consolidate Dundee's position as one of Scotland's leading retail centres and respond to the new development proposals coming forward in competing regional centres.

Since opening in March 2000, Overgate has been credited with Dundee's rise in the Scottish retail hierarchy from eighth to fourth position, according to Experian. According to Overgate's general manager Simon Donaldson, new development is essential to maintain this status: "The five years of success that Overgate has enjoyed has been a major factor in the strong retail performance of Dundee as a city. However, as retailers' needs become more sophisticated and competing regional centres grow in strength and number, further new development is essential to ensure Dundee continues to grow and prosper."

And city centre manager Lorna McKenzie adds: "Dundee has changed immensely over the past decade, attracting new and wider catchments of visitors and shoppers to the city centre. This momentum can be continued by the planned future expansion of Overgate."

Eastgate deals

The Grosvenor Shopping Centre Fund has signed up two new tenants for the 410,000-sq ft Eastgate shopping centre in Inverness.

T-Mobile has acquired Unit 74 at a rental of £100,000 per annum, with three months rent free. The 1,150 sq ft unit was originally occupied by The Gadget Shop which went into administration last year.

And Sandwich chain O'Briens continues its rapid expansion across Scotland acquiring Unit 2/3 extending to 1,090 sq ft, at £55,000 per annum. Both lettings are on new 15-year FRI leases.

Cushman & Wakefield and CBRE are letting agents and Ross Wilkie of Cushman & Wakefield said: "Demand remains strong for Eastgate shopping centre and Inverness in general, which has the largest shopping catchment area in Europe at 10,000 square miles. T-Mobile and O'Briens add two more high profile names to the 60 or so high quality retailers already present."

T-Mobile was represented by Lambert Smith Hampton.

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