The Howard Group has received planning permission for two large schemes at its Werrington Centre in Peterborough and St John’s Retail Park in Bedford.

HPG Developments, the development arm of the Howard Group, has consent to refurbish the Werrington Centre providing a new 75,000 sq ft Tesco superstore, a pub restaurant and additional retail untis.

Tesco began trading at the shopping Centre in January last year after acquiring the lease on the old Rainbow foodstore from Anglia Regional Co-operative Society. The refurbishment of the centre is a part of the initial phase of comprehensive proposals submitted to planning officers.

The masterplan for the Centre’s regeneration will include a more shops, public space, increased parking facilities, and a new roundabout.

HPG Developments director William Jewson said: ‘We want to bring people back to the Werrington Centre to enjoy a worthwhile retail experience as well as improving trade for our independent retailers.

'The redevelopment of the Werrington Centre will provide a much needed lift to the area. All existing retailers on the site affected by the redevelopment have been relocated into newly refurbished units.’

In Bedford, planning permission was granted to widen the use at the Howard Group’s St John’s Retail Park.

The retail park is owned and managed by the Howard Group and houses tenants including Homebase, Halfords, PC World, Allied Carpets, Comet, Carpetright, Currys and Maplin. The site is also home to Howard House, a four storey 11,000 sq ft office headquarters building.

Howard Property group director Michael Summers, said: ‘The improved planning consent will benefit the retail park significantly. We are now in a position to be able to offer far more flexibility to our tenants as well as having the potential to broaden the retail offering on the site in the future. We will be working closely with our existing tenants and consultants, Savills, on various options for the future.’