Plans for a new Morrisons food store welcomed in Houghton Regis !

Plans for a new Morrisons food store welcomed in Houghton Regis !

30 March 2011

Councillors have given their unanimous backing to the plans for a £15 million food store development on a run down site in the Bedfordshire town of Houghton Regis.

Members of Central Bedfordshire Council’s Development Management Committee were told that the new store would stem the flow of shoppers currently leaving the town and retain trade in Houghton Regis as well as bringing new life to a key site.

The plans for a new 51,000 sq ft Morrisons store will also deliver 290 new jobs as well as a comprehensive traffic civilisation scheme.

At the meeting held on March 30^th Houghton Regis Town Council and local ward members spoke in favour of the plans - outlining the benefits to the town in regenerating a vacant site which is between Queen Street and High Street.

A school crossing patrol is being provided by the developers as part of the plans and  Graham Morgan, Chairman of Governors at Houghton Regis Lower School, also welcomed  the new road safety measures as well as the provision of a new food store.

The development is being brought forward by Yorkshire based retail specialists  Dransfield Properties Ltd, the company has worked closely with its architects to design a bespoke store which reflects the local character.

It’s now hoped work can start on site this summer with completion expected 12 months later.

The plans were first brought forward in March last year when an open public consultation was held. The developers consulted with local stakeholders, businesses and residents living closest to the site and have made a number of changes to the initial design to reflect their feedback.

Managing Director of Dransfield Properties, Mark Dransfield, said: “We have received a great deal of support for our development in Houghton Regis from within the town, with only 13 per cent of food expenditure being retained here at the moment there is clearly a need for a supermarket of this size.

“Throughout the last year we have sought to work with local stakeholders to ensure we can deliver a development that will benefit the whole town.  We are delighted therefore to have received the support of the Development Management Committee and we look forward to starting work on site,” he added.

For further information about Dransfield Properties Ltd visit www.dransfield.co.uk

For further information, contact:

Public Relations Department, Dransfield Properties Ltd
Tel: 01226 360644
Email: pr@dransfield.co.uk