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Upset as £160m designer outlet name fails to reflect Cannock home

What's in a name? People question why new shopping destination does not acknowledge Staffordshire location in title.

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An artist's impression of the new designer outlet village

Shopping centre owners were today urged to acknowledge Staffordshire in the name of a new designer outlet village.

The new £160 million development is in the heart of Cannock Chase – but will be named McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands.

Now MP Amanda Milling has written to the joint managing director of development of McArthurGlen, Gary Bond, to ask why the local name has been snubbed.

It follows a social media campaign questioning the name of the development, which will open next year.

How building work is coming together at the site

Resident Andy Coombes contacted the MP over the issue and she replied in a letter saying: “I completely understand the concerns that many local residents are raising and the strength of feeling over the fact that the name choice fails to provide any recognition for Cannock Chase.

“I am aware that many local residents were under the impression that McArthurGlen’s intention was to name the development ‘Mill Green Designer Outlet’ or if a wider, broader name was desired, ‘Cannock Chase Designer Outlet’.”

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Ms Milling says in the letter she would write to the company to outline the concerns.

In a reply to Ms Milling, Mr Bond says visitors will travel from abroad to shop at the outlet.

He adds: “Firstly, I am sorry to hear about the concerns from members of your constituency regarding the name of our designer outlet in Cannock, and the disappointment that Cannock Chase or Mill Green is not part of the final name we have selected.

“We thought long and hard about what to call the outlet and we have confirmed that the name will be McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands.

Work is due to be finished at the designer outlet in 2020

“This £160 million development is set to become a major regional attraction for the 11 million people who live within a 90-minute drive, and for the many visitors from further afield and abroad who are expected to boost local tourism spend by more than £3 million a year as a result. We hope the community will be proud to boast such a destination, one that will deliver huge benefits to the local economy for many years.”

The finished site will bring 1,000 jobs to the area, with phase one set to be home to 80 luxury brands.

There will also be a number of restaurants and cafes, a children’s play area, bike parking for cyclists and 1,400 car parking spaces.

Gary Bond, joint managing director of development at McArthurGlen, added: “We’re extremely proud to be delivering this development in Cannock, creating 1,000 local jobs and attracting regional, national and even international visitors that will bring huge economic benefits for the town.

“While the name reflects the outlet’s status as a major regional destination to maximise these benefits, we’ll still be celebrating Cannock and promoting our location through our marketing and our partnerships with the community.”