Designer outlet to open new wing

A HUGE "department store-style" house and home section is planned for a new wing at York's designer shopping village in November.

The 22,000 sq ft section includes a winding corridor between 15 concessions selling goods such as china, curtains, linen, bedding and candles.

It comes on top of a further ten spaces earmarked in the wing's separate mall for exclusive brands at the £64 million BAA McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Shopping Village, near Naburn

Another of York's out-of-town complexes - Monks Cross - has welcomed the news, saying the new development will attract more consumers to the area.

The plan, revealed exclusively to the Evening Press, shows the form but not the content of the total 42,000 sq ft new east wing which will add dozens of retail names to the 80 represented there, plus another 250 jobs.

The names of those who will be moving in remains a rigid secret until leases have been signed and sealed.

But at another, similar homeware section at BAA McArthurGlen's Great Western venture in Swindon, concessions have been taken up by the likes of linen specialists Ponden Mill, Card & Gift, electrical retailers Thorn, soaps and bath oils retailers Woods of Windsor, and bookstore, Bookends.

The new corridor will snake in an irregular hoop from China China at the northern end of the wing to emerge at a new mall with the extra ten big-name designer outlets.

Norma Middlemiss, general manager of the York designer shopping village, said that her organisation was working towards a mid-November opening of the wing. Phase three - another 50,000 sq ft at the west wing - would open in spring next year. project completed by York-based Shepherd Construction 20 months ago, but remained empty as the activity in the main building was being monitored.

The new phase was eventually triggered when researchers calculated that more than three million people had visited the attraction in its first year.

Katherine Hague, manager of Monks Cross shopping centre, said: "We have never seen the Designer Outlet as a threat. We work in tandem with them to ensure shoppers keep coming to York.

"This new branch of their complex only adds to York and provides visitors with what they want."

No one from the York Chamber of Trade was available for comment today.

PICTURE: TOP SHOPS: Marketing manager Amanda Wright inside the new second phase extension at the McArthurGlen designer outlet