No word from retail giant as Broughton store stalls

MARKS and Spencer is staying tight-lipped over claims that long-held plans for a new store at Broughton Shopping Park have been put on the back burner.

Planning permission for a huge expansion of the retail park, including a flagship Marks and Spencer store, was granted in 2006 but three years on there is no sign of the proposals becoming a reality.

At a recent public meeting in Broughton, councillors claimed that the high-street giant was focusing on getting the final go-ahead for a vast new store proposed at the Cheshire Oaks outlet village in Ellesmere Port.

At 195,000 sq ft, the Cheshire Oaks site would be the second largest Marks and Spencer store in the country and would represent the largest investment by the company in a UK store during the last decade.

The Ellesmere Port scheme was given the go-ahead by councillors but was called in by the Government and has been the subject of a public inquiry.

Asked about the plans for Broughton, a Marks and Spencer spokesman would only say: “We remain committed to expanding in the area and we will review our strategy later in the year.”

Former Broughton county councillor Derek Butler told the Evening Leader: “Marks and Spencer seem distracted by the state of the retail market at the public inquiry at Cheshire Oaks.

“In the meantime, people in Broughton are the last to know as usual.”

He added: “What people in Broughton really want is the interchange on the A55 that would divert traffic around the back of village, because the people here are sick of the gridlock.

“But that is unlikely to happen without the Marks and Spencer scheme because the developers would fund the road improvements.“The money has to come from somewhere.”