Tall & Urban News

A proposed redevelopment of the Walnuts Shopping Centre in Orpington is facing community criticism over the proposed “size and scale” of the project. A petition with more than 500 signatures pledges a boycott of the mixed-use development if community concerns are not taken into consideration.

Under the current proposal, developer Areli Real Estate would partly demolish the Walnuts Shopping Centre on High St. Part of the existing buildings would be retained, the existing multi-story parking structure would be extended, and two new 19-story and 24-story residential buildings would be constructed. In addition, the site would also get a two-story and a nine-story building.  

The mixed-use development would create a total of 100,000 square meters of floorspace across the residential, leisure, office, and car parking facilities.

Tikehau Capital acquired the shopping center in 2019 for more than £30m (US$ 42 million). The plans remain at a relatively early stage, with the developer yet to submit a planning application.

For more on this story, go to News Shopper.