M&S Food Hall secured as anchor for Orchard Centre extension

28.07.2015

Hammerson announces that it has exchanged contracts to secure an M&S Food Hall store as an anchor tenant for its £50 million extension of the Orchard Centre in Didcot, South Oxfordshire.

M&S's 16,000 sq ft Food Hall, which is let on a 20 year lease, will be a key component of Hammerson's mixed-used extension project that will add 150,000 sq ft of shopping and leisure space to the existing 200,000 sq ft Orchard Centre which opened in 2005.

Hammerson's expansion proposal for the Orchard Centre will deliver an additional 24 new high street shops, six restaurants and cafes and will transform the amount and quality of public space in the town centre.

The planning application for the proposed expansion is currently being considered by South Oxfordshire District Council with a decision anticipated later this summer. The transaction, which is subject to planning approval, will see the M&S store open in summer 2017.

Russell Beresford, Development Manager for Hammerson, commented: "Securing M&S is an important part of our strategy for the Orchard Centre. It is exactly the type of store Didcot needs and we remain committed to attracting new retailers to the scheme to provide a new and improved shopping experience for local residents."

ENDS

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