Marks and Spencer plans to open new store at Leamington Shopping Park

Leamington Shopping Park owner The Gibraltar Limited Partnership believes the proposal would be the right use for its retail unit, which is currently empty due to the closure of Focus DIY last year.

The 35,000sq ft store, which would sell clothing, food, home furnishings and house a cafe, could create up to 100 new jobs.

Simon Hoare, a spokesman for The Gibraltar Limited Partnership, said: “It is a very key point that when we spoke to people from BID Leamington and the town centre management team that we assured them this would be in addition to the two stores in the town centre and there was broadly a sense of delight.

“We know that we are in peculiar retail times but whenever there are plans for a new store a huge amount of research is done to see if the investment stacks up.”

“M&S is confident it can operate the three stores in Leamington and the fourth in Warwick successfully.”

Pre-submission exhibitions will take place at Unit J, between Halfords and Clarks, at the shopping park in Tachbrook Drive on Friday from noon to 4pm and Saturday from 10am to 3pm.

An application is expected to be submitted by March which is likely to go before a committee in the summer.

Work on the unit will mostly cover new fixtures and fittings but the roof will also be removed in order to build a mezzanine floor and the front of the building will be renovated to fit in with the character of the other units at the recently refurbished retail site.

Marks & Spencer are hoping to open the store by summer 2013.

Dan Clark, on behalf of The Gibraltar Limited Partnership, said: “At a time of economic and retail uncertainty we are delighted to have attracted such a major and popular British retailer to Leamington Shopping Park.

“We want lots of people to come and see our plans.

“We believe they will attract strong support.”

Marks & Spencer opened its store in the Parade in 1931 and has recently refurbished both this branch and its clothes shop in the Royal Priors.

Andrea Macgregor-Barbour of Marks & Spencer said: “Leamington Spa is a very important town to us and we are delighted to be involved with proposals to develop a new store to serve the town at Leamington Shopping Park.

“This will sit alongside our existing town centres stores and make M&S a significant employer and investor in the town.”