DISCUSSIONS regarding the future of a Basingstoke retail park are “confidential” the borough council has said.

As previously reported, the future of Brighton Hill Retail Park, in Winchester Road, is at risk with the owners “considering all options” following the departure of various businesses.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council told the Gazette it was “not aware of any plans for the site” after a source told the Gazette that one of the options being considered for the 3.3-hectare site was to knock it down and replace it with industrial units, keeping only the McDonald’s restaurant and drive-thru.

Council documents later came to light showing that the site has been included in a report identifying and assessing available land for housing or economic development.

The publicly available document, published in December last year, included comments from a borough council officer referring to Brighton Hill Retail Park saying: “The land landowner of the site relies on high occupancy rates to ensure the continued vitality and viability of the current retail park.

“The site promoter has noted that the existing vacancies are blighting the site and the lack of retail demand has been exacerbated by the recent opening of the new St Michael’s Retail Park development adjacent to the site.”

When questioned why the council said it was not aware of any plans for the site, a spokesperson said discussions regarding its future are “confidential”.

They added: “Brighton Hill Retail Park is one of many sites promoted for future development as part of the Local Plan Update. Promoted sites are captured in the Strategic Housing and Economic Land Availability Assessment (SHELAA), the most recent of which was published in December 2020.

“The SHELAA identifies potential future development sites promoted to the council by landowners or identified by officers and is a document in the public domain.

“A site’s inclusion in the SHELAA doesn’t allocate it for development or determine whether it should be developed nor does it imply that the council would grant planning permission for development.

“The council has not received any planning applications for the site and discussions on the future of the site are confidential. Any decisions on future use continue to rest with the landowner.”

Owners of the retail park, LaSalle, told the Gazette they are “considering all options” for the site, including keeping it as a retail park.

Andrew Bolitho, head of out-of-town retail for LaSalle, did not rule out of the possibility of knocking down the site and replacing it with industrial units.

He told the Gazette: “The vacant units are of course a cause for concern and as is the case for many retail properties at this time, several options are being considered for its long-term future.”

Brighton Hill Retail Park has seen various businesses move out in recent years, including Toys R Us which closed in March 2018; Pizza Hut which shut in September last year; and Office Outlet.

Currys/PC World is relocating to the next-door St Michael’s Retail Park which opened in 2018.