Not only is the centre a completely refurbished mill, but it operates in an open-plan environment, similar to that of a department store format. But while retailers don't have their own front door or enclosing walls, this certainly hasn't put off tenants, who are queuing up to get into the centre.

Centre manager Donna Heathcote-Smith comes from a retail background, and is used to the open-plan format. She works extremely closely with her retailers and the benefits from trading in this format are abundant. She says: "We have no voids at the moment and if we do have a void we're able to fill it quickly. We have a lot of tenants that want to come in here but we're very selective."

The flexibility of space is something that appeals to both the tenants and centre management, explains Heathcote-Smith. "If we have a retailer trading exceptionally well, we can offer more space and vice versa.

"The flexibility within the centre is that retailers can take small footage or a huge amount of footage. They can try a small area first and if they trade well out of that position we can give them more space. On the whole, most tenants stay where they are, but there is some space that is flexible within each floor that retailers can grow into if someone else is perhaps not trading as well as they should.

"Personally I would initiate it. It's pretty much left down to me," says Heathcote-Smith.

The relationship between the management team and the retailers is a good one. Tenants get involved with centre marketing campaigns and events, such as regular fashion shows and wedding fairs, and other events such as embroidery workshops.

Heathcote-Smith explains: "I can empathise with them all because I have a background in retail. We have quarterly meetings and I do one-to-one meetings with the managers; we have the occupiers on site as well.

"We are 100 per cent accessible if there's anything they want to discuss or put forward and I'm out every day talking to all the tenants."

In addition all retailers do NVQs in customer service and Modus also pays for NVQs in team leadership and IT training. The centre team has its own retail manager as well.

Modus, which owns the scheme, is now planning an extension, which will see a further 23,000 sq ft added onto the centre. The idea is to create two individual units of equal size with mezannine floors, which will house two major fashion anchor tenants.

Heathcote-Smith explains: "The people we're looking at would want their own separate units. We're in the talking stages at the moment and planning permission has been granted. We want to complement the tenant mix we already have on board."

The Mill was officially launched in August 2000 following the extensive refurbishment and redevelopment of the traditional mill buildings, which were sympathetically restored. Prior to that, textiles retailer Scopos Furnishings traded from one of the upper floors of the mill, but customers had to access their factory shop via a stone stairway. Since the opening of the The Mill factory outlet centre, Scopos has stayed on as a tenant. Other tenants include Gifted, Jacques Vert, Suits You, Ponden Mill, Lilley & Skinner, Mountain Warehouse and Puma. In addition there is a café, restaurant, full day-care crèche and a nail and beauty salon.

Heathcote-Smith says: "The vision was for it to become a destination factory outlet without it being a clone of every other outlet across the country."

The 123,000 sq ft centre operates over four floors and houses 40 retailers, offering discounted prices on items including young fashion, sports, childrens, ladies and menswear, accessories and shoes, gifts, homewares and furnishings. In fact last year the centre's Christmas marketing campaign revolved around the shopper's ability to buy something for everyone, and it's certainly true. On walking around the centre, it becomes clear that it's bigger than you first think. Heathcote-Smith points out that shoppers returning to the centre sometimes think bits have been added on as they didn't notice certain areas on previous visits.

The catchment provides 395,000 people within a 15-minute drivetime and 1,392,032 within 30 minutes. Shoppers predominantly come from Batley, Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield, as well as Huddersfield and Halifax. But the tourist information office, run internally by Modus, also sees a lot of coach parties arrive at the centre, coming from up to 100 miles away, and often staying for up to five hours. "Dwelltime, is going to be an hour and a half to two hours and you can actually spend a full day here quite easily," adds Heathcote-Smith.

vital statistics

The Mill, Batley

Owner: Modus

Managing agent: Realm

Letting agent: Modus

GLA: 123,000 sq ft

Number of tenants: 40

Catchment: 1,392,032 within 30-minutes

Car parking spaces: 550

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