McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands - looking back and looking ahead with major expansion on the cards

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Having only ever been to Cheshire Oaks in Ellesmere Port, I wasn't entirely sure what I thought.

Was it the right location next to a nature reserve? How many stores would it have and what variety? Would it attract local shoppers in the internet age and be a success?

Now, four and a half years on from its initial (and delayed) launch in April 2021, as the nation was still grappling with Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions, it seems the question of whether it would be a success or not has been answered.

David Jackson, centre manager of McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands, has confirmed there are major expansion plans on the cards.

He says the number of traders will climb from 75 to around 100 and up to 500 new jobs could be created by 2027 by an expansion expected to add an extra 30 per cent onto the 200,000 sq ft of space there.

Among the proposals are a street food and dining destination to serve its four million annual visitors - a figure which the centre says is expected to hit five million over the next four years.

McArthurGlen in Cannock is born

It was back in June 2014 that outlet specialist Rioja Developments and regeneration firm Development Securities (later called U+I) first announced they were in discussions with local leaders about redeveloping council-owned land.

The plot was next to Mill Green Nature Reserve south of Cannock town centre and a short walk from its railway station.

The lofty vision was for 130 retail units, new restaurants, a cinema and circa 2,000 car parking spaces across 307,000 sq ft, all to be opened by a very ambitious spring 2017.

Initially branded 'Mill Green Designer Outlet Village', consent was eventually awarded in 2016 by central government and the following year a joint venture was announced between U+I, Rioja Developments, Aviva Investors and the Richardson Family, cementing that local connection.

Richardson family continues its legacy

The Oldbury-based family firm is run by brothers Carl, Martyn and Lee Richardson and invests in properties and other companies.

Their legacy in the region is immortalised through the work of their father Roy and his twin brother, the late Don, to develop the Merry Hill centre in Dudley in the 1980s. And the family has now confirmed it will be involved in phase two of the Cannock development.

Speaking on behalf of the Richardson family, communicators adviser Jan Jennings-Edwards told the Express & Star: "We are playing our full part in phase two and we are looking forward to building on the foundations of the West Midlands' premier outlet."

What's there and what could (or should) be coming?

An 'outlet village' is a place selling designer and luxury brands at discounted prices, typically excess stock and items from previous seasons or things made especially for sale in an outlet.

McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands is very much a fashion-led destination and the roster of retailers rolls off the tongue like a who's who.

Nike, Ralph Lauren Polo, Boss, Calvin Klein, Adidas, Asics... the list goes on and on.

They sit alongside high-end homeware brands such as Denby, Portmeirion and Le Creuset and there is also the whiff of the 'nice hotel' about it, with some fancy toilets and a concierge-style information desk.

What some say it lacks are those high street staples like Marks & Spencer and - whisper it - maybe a Primark?

There is also no convenience store like a TGJones (the artist formerly known as WH Smith) nor an express supermarket to pick up a drink and a snack instead of having to bust a tenner in one of its cafés.

There is also, at present, nothing there to keep you into the evening such as a cinema or pub, but this can be addressed in the next phase of development.

The ever-present issue of "I've driven therefore I can't drink" is also redundant as the village is very well served by trains and buses despite its out-of-town location.

Hotels would help

The park is the largest development of its kind in the West Midlands and, with its nearest 'rivals' in Mansfield and Bicester, it has a captive audience, especially as Birmingham, the Midlands' biggest city by a long stretch, is just a short distance away.

Despite this, only three per cent of the site's trade comes from people who travel more than 60 minutes to visit there, perhaps in part due to a shortage of hotels in Staffordshire, something tourism bosses say is lacking by 1,000 rooms.

Mr Jackson added: "If there were more availability of hotel rooms we could probably attract more people from further afield. We'd love to see more hotel rooms. We'd also love more availability of things such as Airbnb."