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ARGOS TAKE UNIT AT TUNSTALL'S JASPER SQUARE!

21 April 2005

Argos is to take the final unit in the latest phase of Tunstall’s Jasper Square – the town’s new retail development which is  nearing completion.

The major national retailer is taking a 12,500 sq ft unit alongside Next and is due to open on July 29th to coincide with the launch of the new summer catalogue.

Other retailers also taking space in the £7 million development are Choices Video, Pizza Hut, Shoefayre and Co-op Travel. Who will all be fitting out shortly and are due to open by the end of June.

Work started on the second phase of the Tunstall East Regeneration Scheme in September last year, the development has been designed to generate pedestrian footfall between the Matalan and the Asda store and the town centre and the work includes an attractive paving scheme of Rathbone Street to improve the links with the High Street.

This phase of the development will create 100 new jobs, phase one, the new Matalan store was completed last year and  delivered 120 new jobs in the area.

75 additional town centre car parking spaces will also be added to the existing Matalan carpark.

Argos and Next have been built on land which was formerly occupied by the Wedgwood car park, The Shoefayre store will front the car park and adjoining it is a unit for Co-op Travel which fronts the High Street.

Choices and Pizza Hut outlets have been developed on the former site of 18 residential properties creating an attractive gateway into the town.

This latest commitment from Argos underlines the new found confidence in Tunstall as a retail centre and will help Tunstall Centre serve the local population.

Andrew Malley, Retail Property Director for Dransfield Properties Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be announcing that Argos are taking the final unit in this phase of our development in Tunstall. The fact that this development is now fully let shows the confidence, that large national retailers have in the area.

“Matalan are already trading extremely well in Tunstall and with names like Argos and Next attracting shoppers into the town we are confident that phase two will make Tunstall an even more popular shopping destination.

“An important part of this phase is to strengthen the links with the High Street, encouraging people to make linked shopping trips.
We are confident that this development will underpin the whole shopping area.”

The development was completed on schedule by contractors Bluestone. The company also built the Matalan store which was opened in March 2004.

Speaking of the completed development, Steve Kelly, managing director for Bluestone in the North said: “Bluestone is proud to be associated with a project that will contribute to the regeneration of Tunstall and pleased that the development is attracting high profile retailers such as Argos.

“Bluestone’s experience and knowledge of this sector has once again ensured the successful delivery of yet another high quality retail development, which in turn will boost employment opportunities, the economy of the area and provide more choice for local and visiting shoppers from outside the town.”
 
For further information about Dransfield Properties log on to the company’s website at www.dransfield.co.uk

For further information contact :-

Amanda Holmes
Public Relations, Dransfield Properties Ltd
 Tel : 01226 360644 or 07971 854733

EDITORS NOTES

1. Dransfield Properties Ltd is in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, and has been responsible for more retail developments than any other operation of its kind in the UK.

2. In 2001 Dransfield Properties was awarded the BSCS award for working with the community. In November 2002 the company won the RICS Pro Yorkshire Award for Conservation/Regeneration. In 2003 the company won the RICS Pro Yorkshire Regeneration award.

3. Phase Two of the Tunstall East Regeneration Scheme was officially started in September by the Civic Mayor Cllr Karamat Ali. The Matalan store opened in March 2004.

4. Jasper Square was chosen as the name for the new development by Cailtlin Moran, aged 7, who won the company’s naming competition held at schools in Tunstall.

For further information, contact:

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