Town Centre Regeneration

Experience

Asset strategy, commercial property and town centre regeneration

Concept and project lead

Dave Goodwin, acting as Interim Corporate Property Manager at Rushmoor Borough Council.

Attribution

This case study reflects Dave Goodwin's experience while acting for Rushmoor Borough Council.

Vacant accommodation at the northern entrance to The Meads presented an opportunity to introduce a new food and drink destination and improve how the shopping centre addressed the surrounding town.

The adjoining public space, The Landing, provided the setting. Connecting the commercial accommodation with this space could create a more welcoming entrance and give people another reason to visit and spend time in the area.

The concept

Dave Goodwin originated the concept and led the project in his role as Interim Corporate Property Manager at Rushmoor Borough Council.

The approach brought together three complementary elements: an anchor café-bar occupier, a new glazed return frontage and a stronger relationship with the public realm. It considered the unit as part of its surroundings, connecting the commercial property opportunity with wider regeneration objectives.

Adapting the building

The scheme converts and extends accommodation at 16–18 The Meads, incorporating part of Unit 20, to facilitate the new café-bar and restaurant.

A key intervention is the glazed return frontage: opening the side elevation onto The Landing with windows and access doors. Together with improvements to the internal shopping centre entrance, this allows the venue to address both the mall and the public space outside.

The design also provides the opportunity for external seating, subject to the necessary licence. This helps connect the commercial use with the space around it.

An anchor for activity

Volo Lounge is intended to broaden the town centre's food and drink offer, providing a destination for breakfast, lunch, dinner and social occasions.

The new use is designed to complement the shopping centre and support activity at different times of day. The outward-facing frontage makes that activity more visible from the public realm and gives the building a more welcoming presence.

Connecting property and place

The project demonstrates the value of considering the occupier, building and public space together. The accommodation must work for the business; the entrance and frontage must help people find and access it; and the surrounding space benefits from adjoining uses that encourage people to stay.

For owners and public bodies, this offers a practical approach to repositioning existing assets: identify demand, adapt the accommodation and connect investment in the building with the wider place.

Progress and intended outcomes

The supplied photographs show the change from the earlier blank elevation to the new frontage facing The Landing. As at 4 November 2026, Volo Lounge's website advertises an opening date of 25 November.

The intended benefits include a broader occupier mix, a more active entrance and stronger connections between the shopping centre and public realm. These are project objectives; measured footfall, trading and wider economic impacts are not yet reported here.

Discuss your property opportunity

Statement Property Group brings experience in commercial property, asset management and regeneration to help owners and organisations identify practical opportunities within their estates.

hello@statementproperty.co.uk | 01935 319 777