£15M RETAIL DEVELOPMENT IN FLINTSHIRE STARTS ON SITE

St. Modwen, the UK’s leading regeneration specialist, has started work on its £15 million, six acre Deeside District Centre in Connah’s Quay, Fford Llanarth, Flintshire.

The new district centre will feature a 52,000 sq ft Morrisons food store and 20,000 sq ft of additional retail space. It will have 325 car parking spaces, improved pedestrian links and a bus pick-up point.

Connah’s Quay MOT Testing Centre and Deeside Fish and Chip Shop both committed to units earlier in the year and deals are nearing completion for other retailers to sign up at the development

Paul Batho, senior development manager at St Modwen, said: “There are very few developments of this nature starting on site at the moment in the UK and this is great news for residents in Connah’s Quay and Flintshire generally.

“The project represents a very significant investment in the area which will provide a modern retail centre incorporating a mix of retail outlets and improving public spaces. The scheme, when completed, will be of a high quality and will be a landmark in the area.

“We’ve already secured two retailers for the scheme, which will occupy some of the smaller units and we’re very close to announcing some more names.”

Mark Gunter, group retail director at Morrisons, added: “It’s fantastic to see work start on the site as it’s the first step in bringing Morrisons great value fresh food to the people of Connah’s Quay, as we move from national to nationwide.

“We’re proud to be investing in the area and are delighted to be able to offer so many new jobs to people locally.

“For me personally this is a special development as it was at a store on this site that I began my retail career and I am really looking forward to seeing Morrisons open its doors to the same community that I enjoyed serving many years ago.”

Demolition of the original 1970s-style centre started in June 2009 and was completed in August. It is currently projected that construction of the scheme will be completed in the summer of 2010 to hand over to the retailers to start work on the units internally.

Outline planning consent was granted to St Modwen in April 2008 by Flintshire Council. Detailed planning consent was granted in July this year.

Morgan Ashurst is contractor on the scheme.