A retail park on the edge of Norwich is in line for a major expansion, which if approved will see a new TK Maxx, a leisure centre and potentially 125 new jobs.
Eskmuir Securities Ltd, which owns the Sweet Briar Retail Park, has lodged a bid with Norwich City Council to expand the park into a neighbouring field.
The project would see the park, which is currently home to Ikea, Currys and M&S Simply Food - among others - extend into 6.6 acres of vacant land directly next door to it along Sweet Briar Road.
Should it receive the council’s go ahead, the extension would see six new units added to the park, one of which is set to be taken on by a TK Maxx Homesense store.
Papers submitted with the application add that another of the units would be taken on by a discount food brand, while another would be a gym.
Should the expansion go ahead it would see 125 jobs created across the new site, which is currently also home to Jollyes, Costa Coffee and two carpet shops -Carpetright and Tapi.
It will be the latest change to the ring road retail park, which most recently saw the addition of a new unit on its car park, which is home to Costa.
Papers prepared on behalf of Eskmuir by Bidwells say: “Importantly, the application proposes physical retail floorspace that promotes economic growth and creates 125 new full-time equivalent employment positions in an important economic sector.
“The delivery of positive economic uses at a time when the UK is entering into the worst economic recession for 300 years is a significant positive arising.”
Should the plans go ahead they would also result in significant changes being made to the park’s car park, which would see a roundabout built in the middle to distribute traffic around it.
It would see the addition of 224 extra parking spaces including 18 disabled spaces, eight adult-and-child spaces and the retail park’s first four electric vehicle charging points.
Norwich City Council will decide the application in due course.
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