LONDON MAYOR Boris Johnson is considering changes to a £4.7 billion regeneration scheme for Brent Cross to speed up improvements to the shopping precinct.

Calling for the “de-coupling” of precinct upgrades from plans to regenerate wider Cricklewood, the Mayor said he does not want to unnecessarily delay much-needed revamp of Britain’s oldest mall.

The call follows a visit by Mr Johnson to retailers and representatives of Brent Cross owners Hammersons on Friday, January 13.

The £4.5 billion plan involves building 7,500 homes, rebuilding three schools and moving Cricklewood station closer to Brent Cross.

During last week’s meeting, Mr Johnson agreed to investigate whether shopping centre owners could defer Cricklewood regeneration plans or submit new plans, focussing on retail improvements.

A statement from the Mayor’s office said: "In these extremely tough economic times the Mayor's priority is to unlock investment and help create jobs wherever he can.

"Brent Cross has the potential to deliver many opportunities and as with Stratford City he is prepared to consider all options that will ensure long term economic development in an area is not held up unnecessarily."

While campaigners against the plans are cheering reports that the proposal is “dead in the water”, the centre’s owners Hammerson Plc maintains the plans are very much alive.

Lawrence Hutchings, Managing Director UK Retail at Hammerson, said: “We are pleased by the fact that the Mayor of London is a supporter of Brent Cross Shopping Centre and its future expansion and he has always supported the wider regeneration of the Brent Cross Cricklewood area.

“Our planning permission was only finalised in November 2010 and we remain committed to the long term regeneration of the area and are taking forward delivery of the scheme.

“As part of this we would be happy to discuss with the Mayor, Barnet Council and others how he may able to support the early delivery of an improved Brent Cross Shopping Centre which remains the primary shopping destination for North London and the surrounding area.”

Brian Coleman, London Assembly Member for Barnet welcomed the “de-coupling” of the plans.

“I have always supported the expansion of Brent Cross as a shopping facility for North London and I look forward to Hammersons plans in due course," he said.

“As for the Cricklewood scheme, perhaps the developers can go back to the drawing board and produce scaled back plans for family houses with gardens rather than ugly blocks of flats."

Brian Coleman opposed the original application when it was submitted to Barnet, and has campaigned against the proposal to build "rabbit hutch" flats on the site, with inadequate transport infrastructure.

A statement from the Coalition for a Sustainable Brent Cross Cricklewood Development said: "The campaign welcomes the collapse of the grotesque, car-based Brent Cross scheme.

"However, it is totally unacceptable to still go ahead with the easy-profit shopping centre expansion, which we are told is a “possibility”.

"We demand the whole plan is scrapped."

Brent Cross Coalition co-ordinator Lia Colacicco said: “The regeneration was always a mirage. In return for cheaply purchasing large swathes of public land, their main return to the local population would have been gridlocked traffic.”

David Howard, Chair of the Federation of Residents Associations of Barnet said: “The Brent Cross Cricklewood development would have had a negative impact on the infrastructure and the environment of much of North London and for generations to come.

"We need the public land at Brent Cross to be kept out of the hands of the developers, and corridors across it reserved for future light railway to Brent Cross Northern Line station and to other local areas.”

Leader of Barnet Council, Councillor Richard Cornelius, said: "We want the developers to get on with this project so that the shopping centre can flourish and the community reap the full promised benefits of the scheme."