Stafford to get giant new M&S store

A new multi-million pound Marks & Spencer superstore is to be built in Stafford, council bosses confirmed today.

The shop will be spread across the ground floor of the new Riverside development. The high street favourite will provide the vast majority of the 650 new jobs being created by the £70 million shopping complex.

M&S already has a branch in Gaolgate Street but the new store will be bigger. It has been hoped for some time the retailer would expand its presence in the town but today is the first confirmation.

Chris Lewis, chair of Stafford Town Centre Partnership, said a bigger M&S would result in more customers coming into the town and spending money.

"It's a big reason to come to the town centre and is absolutely fantastic news" he said today.

"At the moment, not many people travel from other places to come into Stafford town centre but this will change things."

The news comes after online retailer Amazon announced it was creating 900 new jobs in Rugeley.

Mr Lewis said it was a sign things were changing for the better in Staffordshire.

"With the Amazon development at Rugeley, 2012 is going to be a good year," he added.

Last week, council officials announced the new Riverside shopping complex creating 650 jobs and 1,600 car parking spaces.

Developer LXB Retail Properties Plc has bought the old Riverside Recreation Centre, which is currently used as a pay-and-display car park.

LXB is also taking over the Bridge Street multi-storey car park which will be converted to new shops and car parking.

The borough council and Staffordshire County Council are also in discussions over the purchase of the town's Kingsmead car park site.

Marks & Spencer chiefs were today remaining tight-lipped about the opening of the new store, saying they had no comment to make at the moment.

Kathryn Chitty, M&S spokeswoman, said: "While M&S is always looking at new opportunities, we have no comment to make in the Stafford area."

She would not comment on what the plans mean for the current Gaolgate Street branch.