THE newest addition to The Lanes shopping district is on schedule to be completed by next summer, according to developers.

The Hanningtons Lane project is redeveloping buildings at the bottom end of North Street, Brighton, and transforming an unused access road behind them into a new shopping lane.

It is now well under way with several buildings having been demolished.

This week The Argus was given exclusive access to the site and the blueprints and computer models which represent the “masterplan” for redevelopment.

Andrew Foulds, portfolio manager for European development giant Redevco, which has spent £72 million buying property to realise the plan, said: “I hope people will be able to get really excited about what’s coming.

“It’s the most innovative project I’ve been involved with.”

A two minute “fly-through” video created by a computer graphics firm takes the viewer into a vision of the new development.

The entrance to the new Lane will be at the site of the recently demolished Timpsons, the piecemeal destruction of which has opened up a view of central Brighton’s oldest building, Puget’s cottage.

The video shows how three sides of the flint building will jut out into the new walkthrough in what Mr Fould called “a natural piece of retail theatre”.

The fourth side was incorporated into another building years ago

Shoppers entering Hanningtons Lane will be able to walk up steps from the North Street entrance to reach a space which will include a restaurant with open-air dining and a row of 14 new independent shops.

The Lane will be wheelchair accessible from north, south and west but the height differential from the North Street entrance is too steep to install a ramp.

There are no shop tenants agreed yet but Redevco promises to “complement” The Lanes’ existing offer.

Mr Foulds said John Lewis’s decision not to come to the city was “a surprise” but would not affect his plans which were made before the high street giant bought property in Brighton.

Apartments designed in a style “sympathetic” to The Lanes, with render, weatherboard and flint exteriors, will be built above the shops.

Redevco is now spending a further £8 million knocking down and rebuilding units on the 1.3acre site.

Mr Foulds said: “Hopefully everyone is going to be chuffed with what it looks like.”