Express & Star

Praise for £115m Cannock shopping village

Labour's shadow business secretary Angela Eagle has pledged her backing to Cannock's new £115 million designer shopping village that has been dubbed the West Midlands version of Bicester.

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The Mill Green Designer Outlet Village will be built next to Mill Green Nature Reserve, off Eastern Way, after plans for the scheme were approved by the Government last year.

Work is set to start on the development early in 2017, with an opening date pencilled in for early 2018.

During a visit to the site to cast her eye over plans for the scheme, she said it would give a major push to the West Midlands' economy, with 700 construction jobs and 1,200 full-time jobs set to be created.

"This is no mean feat," she said. "This will mean, in real terms, an increase of four percent on current employment levels in Cannock Chase.

"This will be a huge draw for Cannock and people will travel from across the West Midlands, and further afield, to visit this attraction."

Ms Eagle compared the development to Bicester village in Oxfordshire, which attracts more than six million visitors a year.

She added: "If we can see that sort of business here happening in Cannock Chase then it will have a huge positive impact on the West Midlands economy."

The site is set to feature 130 shops – including Ralph Lauren and Superdry – plus restaurants, a large children's play area, a visitor centre and a multi-storey car park with 2,000 spaces for drivers to park up.

As part of the deal an as yet undetermined amount of section 106 cash will be allocated to improving roads around the site, including a new dual carriageway and crossing along Eastern Way.

Cannock Chase Council leader George Adamson described the development as a 'real coup for Cannock'.

He said: "Many of our neighbours would give their eye-teeth to have this right on their doorstep.

"It will bring major regeneration to Cannock along with millions of people into the area each year."

Cannock is undergoing a retail boom at the moment. A new Marks & Spencer has opened on the Orbital shopping centre. It moved into the old Comet unit.

Meanwhile talks are progressing over plans to allow visitors to the shopping village to use the M6 Toll for free.

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