Not only is it the largest Volkswagen showroom in Europe, it is also part of what is thought to be the first UK mixed-use scheme to include a dealership.

The development has been the best part of a decade in the making and involves three key players: Lookers, developer Linden Homes and agent Rapleys, which brought the other two parties together.

The result is a 90,000 sq ft state-of-the-art dealership with a showroom on the ground floor; a workshop, customer parking and used-car display on the first; and a further workshop along with vehicle compound and staff facilities on the second. The rest of the scheme is given over to 173 one-, two- and three- bedroom Viewpoint apartments, 25% of which are affordable, split across four blocks.