New £5.8m DFS store is taking shape

Construction of a new £5.8million DFS store in Cannock has reached the halfway stage, with work now under way on the interior of the sprawling building.

The project, which is expected to be completed on October 26 ready for the Christmas rush, is being built on two acres of land off the A5 at Longford Island.

Contractors from Sheffield-based J F Finnegan have been on site for more than three months.

Workmen have constructed the shell of the building and installed the exterior roof and wall cladding. Currently they are laying the concrete slab flooring and over the next two months will be putting in the dividing walls, windows and shop front before laying out the car park and service yards.

The tenants will then move in to install the furniture and interior fittings.

A spokesman for Finnegan's said the work was on target.

Around 30 jobs are expected to be created at the new site with another unknown firm also expected to be part of the same retail development once it is finished. DFS is currently based on the Linkway Retail Park, on the other side of Longford Island.

Mick Haragdon, project manager for new stores at DFS, said staff from the Cannock store would be relocated to the new, bigger, 17,000 sq ft store once built.

Demolition

The site, at the point where the A5 Watling Street meets the A460 Wolverhampton Road, was formerly occupied by Exclusive Leather Sofas, which was demolished to make way for the new development.