Reimagining Brewery Lane: Masterplan unveiled

For decades, the old brewery site on Brewery Lane has sat largely empty. What was once a working part of Lancaster's industrial history became, over time, a derelict site vandalised, deteriorating, and largely written off. Over the last 20 years, previous attempts to redevelop it have fallen through and the site has continued to sit as an abandoned site in the heart of the city centre. 

On behalf of Lanmara Developments (a joint venture between Marco Living and Axis-RE), we launched the start of a public consultation on 30 June on proposals to transform the 3-acre site into a vibrant mixed-use destination: homes, healthcare, education, hospitality and culture, alongside new public space connecting the site to Lancaster's city centre and the canal. 

This is the first time the full masterplan has been shared publicly, and we’re pleased to share the details of what's being proposed, why, and what happens next. 

A site with a personal connection 

Axis-RE was founded by Russ Worthington and Nick Mullins in 2021, with a clear focus on the North West and a genuine belief in what towns and cities across the region have to offer. Russ grew up in Lancaster and lives locally, so for him, this is a chance to help shape the place he calls home. 

That same thinking runs through how Axis-RE works more broadly: a progressive, proactive and collaborative approach to development and placemaking, built on close working relationships with partners like Marco Living, and a preference for using local contractors and consultants wherever possible. It's a way of working rooted in the belief that a scheme like Brewery Lane can have a real, lasting impact on a city, not just in what gets built, but in what it means for the people who live there. Progress on site Since acquisition last May, detailed structural surveys were completed in agreement with the Council and Building Control, which resulted in the demolition of the dangerous and derelict, non-listed structures on site. Work that was undertaken by regional contractors addressed long-standing health and safety concerns while preserving the site's heritage elements where possible. 

Following receipt of the required planning permissions, part of the site is now being used as a temporary car park, helping to ease pressure on parking in the town centre while the planning process moves forward. 

The proposals bring together a broad mix of uses across the site: 

What's being proposed 

Food Hall and Music Venue Perhaps the most ambitious element of the scheme comprises the conversion of the old malt house and brewery buildings, the site's listed structures, which are going through a separate, detailed planning process alongside the outline application for the rest of the site. 

The concept is a food hall with the flexibility to become a music venue, with a capacity of up to 500 people. A food hall with this kind of ambition doesn't happen on its own - it takes the right operators, the right funding, and genuine support from the people and organisations who care about Lancaster's cultural life. We're approaching it with ambition, but also with our eyes open about what it will take to get right. If it comes together, it would allow the existing Kanteena-style concept to evolve and has real potential to anchor Lancaster's emerging cultural quarter alongside The Dukes, Lancaster Grand and the Music Co-op, and to give the city's independent businesses and artists somewhere to grow into. 

Neighbourhood Health Centre 

Responding to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s (MHCLG) policy statement to deliver 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres by 2035, the masterplan will put the health of the community at its centre with a 4-storey building of c.3,700 sq m (39,800 sq ft) that will include a GP practice, Health on the High Street, voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise sector (VCFSE) and other public services. 

Mobility Hub, Cafe and Convenience Store A six-storey building combining around 250 car parking spaces with a cafe and convenience store, plus flexible office space for smaller, growing businesses. This will not be a traditional multi-storey car park: it will comprise high levels of EV charging provision, car club spaces, scooter and bicycle storage, and parcel drop-off points, similar in concept to mobility hubs seen in other city centres such as Ancoats, Manchester. The ground-floor cafe/bar and convenience store will support activity and footfall to the building, adding to the multi-use nature and modern lifestyles now lived. 

This building does more than serve Brewery Lane. It's intended to provide the parking and movement infrastructure for the wider Canal Quarter masterplan, including future development on sites such as Coopers Field. 

A Lifestyle Hotel and Restaurants A 125-key hotel, six storeys, flanked by two restaurant units, will bring an international lifestyle hotel brand to Lancaster for the first time. Until the signed agreement, we're not yet able to confirm the brand, but it represents a new tier of hospitality offer for the city, and the kind of investment that signals real confidence in Lancaster's future. 

Education Space 

A proposed substantial block of flexible education space, around 3,420 sq m (36,812 sq ft). This building was originally conceived as dedicated university faculty space; the ambition being to support neighbouring universities to establish a stronger presence in the heart of the city. No university partner is confirmed at this stage, and the site retains flexibility, including the option of residential use, should these conversations not progress. 

Affordable Student Accommodation 

Purpose-built student accommodation sits at the northern end of the site, ranging from three to five storeys. Lancaster's a university city, and we know that affordability is a real pressure point for a lot of families supporting their kids through university. We wanted to do something that genuinely helps with that. The design favours efficient private space combined with generous communal study and social spaces, reflecting modern student living, rather than a traditional halls-of-residence model. 

Opening up the public realm A central part of the proposals, with the City and County’s support, is the pedestrianisation of Brewery Lane and Lodge Street, removing through-traffic and limiting access to servicing only. This supports the council's Canal Quarter strategy published in 2021, with the aim of improved public realm and permeability in this part of the city. 

This will include a new public square behind The Dukes, improving the connection between the site, the wider city centre, and the canal. We've been in ongoing conversations with the City, the County, and The Dukes throughout, discussing proposals to turn this area into a considered, enjoyable and usable public space. 

What happens next 

This consultation is the first formal opportunity for the public to see and respond to these proposals before a planning application is submitted. It runs from 30 June to 14 July, with an in-person event at The Dukes on 9 July, from 4pm until 8pm, where the project team will be on hand to talk through the plans and answer questions. 

The full consultation materials, including the illustrative masterplan, consultation boards, a feedback form and a Q&A document prepared with our planning consultants, AshtonHale, are available at https://www.axis-re.co.uk/brewery-lane-public-consultation-lancaster 

Subject to the feedback we receive, we intend to submit a planning application by the end of summer 2026, covering both an outline application for the wider site and a detailed application for the listed buildings. 

We'd encourage anyone with an interest in Lancaster's future to take a look at the proposals and let us know what you think. 

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: info@ashtonhale.co.uk