Work on £160m outlet village to start next year
Work on a £160m outlet shopping village in Staffordshire will begin early next year, developers have confirmed.
The completion of a joint venture comprising operator McArthurGlen Group together with U+I, Rioja Developments, Aviva Investors (on behalf of Aviva Life and Pensions) and The Richardson Family has paved the way for the long-awaited scheme in Cannock.
The establishment of the joint venture will see the development of a 26,500m² shopping village on a site at Mill Green, which has already been dubbed ‘mini Bicester’.
Work will take place in two phases and will include improvements to the local road infrastructure.
U+I and Rioja Developments secured planning approval for the outlet from Cannock Chase District Council in September 2016 following extensive consultations with the local community.
Construction of phase one will begin in the early part of 2018 and the opening is planned for spring 2020.
Phase one will feature more than 80 stores plus restaurants and cafes, a children’s play area and 1,400 parking spaces.
The centre is expected to be a catalyst for growth in the area, generating more than 1,000 jobs and increasing visitor numbers.
The project will be developed and built by McArthurGlen, U+I and Rioja Developments, and once it is completed, McArthurGlen will manage the centre.
Giles Membrey, managing director at Rioja Developments, said: “We are delighted that after many years working on this project, we will be seeing it come to fruition in 2018. This is the best site in the West Midlands for a designer outlet village and the brand interest in the scheme has been phenomenal.”
Tony McGovern, managing director of Cannock Chase Council, added: “The McArthurGlen Outlet Village will generate significant employment opportunities in the West Midlands and provide a regional shopping destination that is accessible and high quality. The council is delighted to be working in partnership to deliver this fantastic facility.”
The outlet village will be close to the town centre but will also benefit from good access to key arterial routes including the M6, M6 Toll, A34, A38 and A5.
Directly adjacent to the site is the A460, which connects with the M6 Toll. Much of the road infrastructure was improved when the nearby Orbital Centre – home to a Sainsbury’s supermarket, M&S Food, Homebase and other stores – was built in the 1990s.
In addition to the strong road network, Cannock railway station is within easy walking distance of the site.
The walk to the town centre and the railway station will be linked by a new footway and cycle path running through the Mill Green nature reserve. This will also serve as the route for a new heritage trail.
