Next to hand Ipswich a major jobs boost
Ipswich: High street giant Next hands town a major jobs boost
By PAUL GEATER
Thursday, January 12, 2012
2:19 PM
SCORES of new jobs for greater Ipswich are on the way as one of Britain’s top retail names is set to develop a huge new store.
Next has bought the former Focus DIY unit in Beardmore Retail Park, Martlesham, and will turn it into an out-of-town department store selling clothes, home furnishings, a garden centre, and a conservatory showroom.
This means well over 1,000 new jobs are set to be created in the greater Ipswich area in the next year-and-a-half thanks to upcoming developments including a new John Lewis/Waitrose in Nacton Road.
It comes as fashion retailer Matalan has reportedly revealing plans for a store on Orwell Retail Park, creating around another 100 jobs.
Meanwhile, Next has also applied to Suffolk Coastal District Council for planning permission to include a Starbucks coffee shop in their new development.
A spokeswoman for the company said the Martlesham branch was expected to open in June – and would be similar to a new conceptstore that was trialed at Shoreham in West Sussex last year.
The company could not put a figure on the number of jobs that would be created here, but said the Shoreham store employs 250 people.
The store at Martlesham will be slightly smaller than that on the south coast – 40,000 square feet rather than 56,000 square feet – but it is expected to create scores of new jobs.
The spokeswoman said the new store at Martlesham would not affect Next’s store in Ipswich town centre nor its Home store at the Sandlings retail park.
Paul Clement from Ipswich Central, which manages the development of the town centre, said he was not concerned to hear the news.
“Next have two very different types of stores – they are represented on high streets and on retail parks. I don’t think this will affect their presence in the town centre, ” he said.
Next have recently been investing in their store in Westgate Street – bringing in a new air conditioning plant.
Suffolk Coastal MP Dr Therese Coffey said the investment would be good for the local economy.
She said: “Not only will Next bring welcome jobs, but they also have a very strong apprenticeship scheme – it is important that retailers give their staff good training.
“And it is also good that a high-quality retailer is keen to invest in the area. Coupled with the John Lewis development on the edge of Ipswich, there will be more high-quality retailing in the area.
“That makes the area much more attractive to people moving into the area to take up well-paid jobs. There is a great quality of life in Suffolk, but people want top retail names as well, and this will mean there are more of them in this part of the world.”
The Next development is another major new jobs boost for the area – and will mean that well over 1,000 new jobs will be created in retailing in the Ipswich area over the next 18 months.
Latest News See all
- This year’s Aquafest in Ely will be biggest and best yet
- Think twice plea about using Chinese lanterns plead farming couple after one of their cows died from eating one
- Ely jeweller lends her support to Addenbrooke’s charity
- Lots on offer as dozens turn out for Ely auction
- Council to drop its pest control service in East Cambridgeshire
More Business News
- Soham retailer’s “concern” after supermarket approval
- BUSINESS AWARDS: Commercial Business Person of the Year will praise individuals’ contribution to success
- BUSINESS AWARDS: Star FM’s Mark Peters to host 2013 East Cambridgeshire Business Awards
- Online award for Little Downham guest house
- GALLERY: Sir Jim Paice visits Cambridgeshire firm leading the way in war zone mine clearance
- EAST CAMBRIDGESHIRE BUSINESS AWARDS: Whiting & Partners signs up as award sponsor
- Ely manufacturer hails launch of new product line
- Turners of Soham recognised with award for carbon emissions drive
- New home for Ely retailer
- Up to 85 new jobs as engineering firm gets all-clear to upgrade Ely headquarters
Letters
E-Edition
What's On
Retailer List
ADVERTISEMENT
21 comments
At least felixstowe port will be busy as more stuff from china arrives to fill up the shelfs.
Report this comment
david hoare
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Simon , you need to take a reality check. 33,000 football fans clogging up the town? 1. Portman Road holds 30,000 max 2. Today , just over 16000 attended hardly clogging up the town is it
Report this comment
Abraham
Saturday, January 14, 2012
According to SCDC's website planning permission has not yet been given for this development. I assume this article is a result of a press release by Next which is designed to help the planning committee make up its mind.
Report this comment
Mousemat
Friday, January 13, 2012
Ipswich Man, who exactly should have given them a deal on the TJ Hughes store? The council? They don't own it. The landlord? They aren't interested in lower rents. As Scott Brock says, if they wanted a large store in town they could have had one. They didn't. Don't you think that if they had opened in town, the existing store would definitely have shut? So you would still have an empty, albeit smaller, unit in the town centre.
Report this comment
Mike Crotchley
Friday, January 13, 2012
Having all these top brand stores open out-of-town branches in Ipswich is fantastic news for many reasons: 1) It will create much needed jobs 2) It will give elderly and disabled people easier access 3) It will add to range of products already available in town centre and other stores giving shoppers a wider choice 4) It will stop Ipswich from falling behind many other towns and cities who already have such stores 5) Shopping will still be possible when 33,000 football fans decide to block up our town centre and road system most Saturday's!!!!!! Fantastic news to start of the new year!
Report this comment
Simon Carter
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Well here is another reason why people won't visit Ipswich. Another out of town store and Ipswich Boro Council still continue to make it harder to get into the town as Fred Flinstone highlights. When will they learn ? I feel sorry for the Retailers in Ipswich Town Centre with such a bunch of incompetents in charge of the Town.
Report this comment
Poppys Dad
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Why oh why do we have to have another out of town store. Most people have cars but some do not have transport to these areas. The town is like a ghost town now, why not put some of these retailers in these empty stores. The old Co Op store, Littlewoods and T J Hughes are just three empty places in the town that need to be filled. Please bring more shops into the town and bring down parking prices and rents.
Report this comment
moaningminnie
Thursday, January 12, 2012
This is good news as the town centre is a cesspit. It will detract the shop lifters and scum that go into town and only genuine shoppers with money will go there. It will attract a much needed better clientelle
Report this comment
the opinion man
Thursday, January 12, 2012
As a retired "out of towner" I am looking forward to the Martlesham Next store, as I will not have to drive into the centre. I used to use the Park & Ride but stopped when they started charging. Ipswich town centre has lost out as a result.
Report this comment
Midasi
Thursday, January 12, 2012
I doubt a big store like Next would interested in the old TJ Hughes shop, the footfall is too low and the Buttermarket is like a ghost town nowadays.
Report this comment
screen_name
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Ipswich Man - If they had wanted a department store they would have taken it, they don't want a department store they want a retail outlet...
Report this comment
Scott Brock
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Ipswich Man - If they had wanted a department store they would have taken it, they don't want a department store they want a retail outlet...
Report this comment
Scott Brock
Thursday, January 12, 2012
watching it go down - if you'd read the article properly you would have understood they said 1000 jobs between this and the new John lewis store
Report this comment
Scott Brock
Thursday, January 12, 2012
To all the moaners, this application is outside of the boroough of Ipswich, so whether they (the council) think its a good thing or not, they have absolutely no say so in it. These Next superstores exist in other places and I'm sure they don't have a detrimental effect. You have to differentiate the style of shopping and the demand... out of town shopping appeals to certain types of shoppers making certain types of purchases - generally bulk where they need a car. Town shopping is and should be more experiential... more changes to see and find, touch, interact, meet and socialise with friends and so on. its a big differentiator and if Ipswich catches in to that it will be fine... oh wait, if you read the town centre plan they HAVE picked up on that... A variety of stores in and out of town will help keep it vibrant. Next in town wont close, it'll do healthy business ... what about passing and lunch trade? post work? No one's gonna pop out to martlesham when they are already in town...
Report this comment
Scott Brock
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Reading through these comments it seems the only person likely to be pleased by this plan is the lovely Mrs Plod, and that's because she can go and spend more of my hard-earned on stuff we don't need!
Report this comment
PC Plod
Thursday, January 12, 2012
1000 jobs hmmmmmmm we will see about that...... i very much doubt they will have that many as they barely seem to have 50 in the town and home one
Report this comment
watching it go down the pan
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Woo hoo! lets get those jobs out there, looking forward to it!!
Report this comment
Jep70
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Town will be even less busy. Should of given them a deal for the old TJ Hughes Store.
Report this comment
Ipswich Man
Thursday, January 12, 2012
The Next in town will probably close in a few years once the out of town one is established. Even if it doesn’t , there will be a knock on effect of less people going into the town centre. Why are the likes of John Lewis and Next developing out of town? Because the council road planners are coming up with ridiculous suggestions as detailed here http:www.ipswichtransport21c.co.ukexhibition-and-plans that with further ruin access to the town centre for cars hence driving away people and key high street retailers.
Report this comment
FredFlintstone
Thursday, January 12, 2012
How many people have complained that the town is too busy, lack of parking, over crowded buses.Not only is this adding to the economy, helping people of ipswich suffolk back to work. All those shoppers who are dissapointed when they go to Next and find out they havent got something in stock, now have another chance to find it. I wish people would stop being so pesimistic.
Report this comment
Rob Dixon
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Here we go again, yet another out of town shopping destination, selling a lot of the stuff we used to go to Ipswich town centre for. How can it not have a negative effect on the town centres if its selling clothes?
Report this comment
mmm
Thursday, January 12, 2012