M&S prepares to drop anchor in Portsmouth
Published: 01 February, 2007
Marks & Spencer is in talks to take the second anchor store at Centros Miller's Northern Quarter scheme in Portsmouth. John Lewis is already committed to the £350m scheme.
The resurgent retailer is expected to take a full-line store located next to St Agatha's Church as part of its renewed acquisition drive. The new store will be up to three times the size of the current M&S branch in Commercial Road, which will make it one of the biggest in the South of England.
Portsmouth City Council's development control committee gave outline planning permission for the Northern Quarter in 2005, and it is expected to be open in 2011.
In addition to the two anchor stores there will be more than 80 smaller shops, cafes and restaurants arranged on two new streets linking Commercial Road with St Agatha's Church. The scheme also includes 200 apartments and 2,300 parking spaces.
