A joint project between Cheltenham-based Robert Hitchins Ltd and Austrian firm ROS Retail Outlet Shopping, Designer Outlet Cotswolds will be built next to Junction 9 of the M5 motorway. Land sandwiched between the motorway and the A46 will be turned into a 195,000 square foot retail park that will feature 90 shops, restaurants and cafes. The development will be opened in two phases, with the first phase of construction pencilled to start in the autumn of 2020 and set to open a year later. In a statement, the developers said: “The architecturally-appealing designer village will benefit from a sizeable local catchment, millions of vehicles passing near the site each year, and high visitor numbers to one of Britain’s top tourism regions. “Local shoppers living in the area are expected to
account for over half of total annual revenue, with passing traffic plus tourism predicted to provide the remainder.” The scheme is part of a wider retail development including a new 81,800 sq ft garden centre, alongside an existing M&S supermarket, Starbucks and BP petrol filling station. A planning application for 850 homes, a school and local centre to the south has also been submitted and is awaiting determination by Tewkesbury Borough Council. The development is the first venture in the UK by ROS Retail Outlet Shopping and the statement said it showed their “confidence both in the British retail sector and, in particular, the growth potential of outlet shopping.”
September 2019 | www. punchline-gloucester .com | 5
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