Fears over impact on Newark town centre if M&S moves to new site
A business leader said the proposed loss of a high street giant from the centre of Newark could pose problems for the whole town.
Marks and Spencer announced on Monday that it was looking to vacate its Stodman Street premises for a new site on land between the BP petrol station and former Warwicks and Richardsons Northgate brewery.
At 28,000sq ft, the new store would be double the size of its existing site and feature a café and home section. All 50 staff would be retained and the firm said it would recruit more employees.
But there are fears that some customers would be less likely to use the new store and that the exit of a key retailer could make the town centre less appealing.
“It will make a huge difference on people coming into the town,” said Mrs Amy Codd, chairman of Newark Business Club.
“It will have consequences for Newark. When a big store leaves the town centre people start to think about whether to visit there at all, and that is a problem for Newark as a whole.
'A shame for the town centre'
“Stores leaving town centres is more of a larger, national problem than a local one.
“But it is a shame for the town centre, and for individual retailers, when we are trying to encourage people to come into Newark.
“Everyone has been working hard — the town council, business club and retailers — and we will continue to work with people to make Newark as attractive as possible for people to shop in.”
The existing store is next to St Mark’s Place shopping centre, which is owned by Topland.
Its group director for property and asset management, Mr Steve Pope, said: “We are disappointed that M&S have not engaged with Topland to enhance and improve this successful unit.
“A proposed move out of town could well affect the vitality and appeal of Newark town centre to shoppers and tourists alike, going forward.
“There will inevitably be highways issues on the already congested Lincoln Road and we will be bringing forward significant objections to any planning application that comes in.
“We remain committed to working on the exciting new retail opportunities we are creating at St Mark’s Place and building on the momentum we have created with good quality recent lettings and our recent streetscape improvements.”
'Hope that it is replaced by something of high quality'
Newark MP Mr Robert Jenrick described the decision to relocate M&S as a real blow for the town centre, particularly for the elderly.
“It is positive news that there is investment in Newark at a time when M&S stores are closing,” he said.
“I know it is a bigger store and will create more jobs, but what will replace it? It is one of the anchors of the town’s retail offerings.
“People will drive to the new store. For many, the Saturday ritual is M&S.
“Would they be as likely to then go into town, visit the other stores, sit in the cafés, walk around the market?
“It was a major blow to Grantham when Marks and Spencer closed.
“We will need to wait and see how it develops and hope that it is replaced by something of high quality.”
Mrs Jane Kingsley, director of the Jane Young clothing store in Chain Lane, said there were still many reasons for shoppers to visit the town centre.
“It is a lovely town centre, especially with the market,” she said.
“There are a lot of reasons for people to come in. There are lots of clothes shops in town, especially down Middlegate.
“On a personal level, I am disappointed that Marks and Spencer might be moving because it is convenient to walk to the store in the town centre.
“But at least we are hanging on to an M&S — they might have shut it altogether, and that would have been a lot worse.”
It is believed Marks and Spencer first moved into the town in 1933.
Land for the proposed new store has been owned by Newark Property Development Ltd for the last decade.
A spokesman for the company said there was potential for other retailers to join Marks and Spencer on the site, which is around 130,000sq ft and would be named Maltings Retail Park.
The proposed entrance to the new retail park would be opposite the Selecta Tyre Ltd business.
Marks and Spencer’s head of region for East Midlands North, Mr Simon Layton, said: “We are excited about our plans to invest in Newark and open a new, larger store at the Maltings Retail Park.
“We have been serving customers in the town for more than 80 years, and are committed to providing the best of M&S to those in the area.
“If our new store is granted planning permission we will be doubling the size of the existing M&S store and bringing a home department and café offer to the town for the first time.
“The whole team will be staying with M&S and our new store would also create new jobs in the area.”
Plans have not yet been submitted to Newark and Sherwood District Council but Marks and Spencer said it hoped that would happen “fairly soon.”
The firm said plans to move into larger premises were part of the wider store estate programme. Broader details of the programme were announced in November 2016.
