Plans for the future of Worksop’s Priory Shopping Centre gain widespread support following exhibition

Last month, the Priory Shopping Centre held public exhibitions to introduce exciting plans for the centre to the local community.

The exhibitions were very well attended with 600 local residents dropping in to see the plans and ask questions.

Almost 90 per cent of attendees were supportive of the plans and over 80 per cent of locals believed the benefits of the scheme would extend to the town centre and to the local community too.

The Priory Shopping Centre is working with Bassetlaw District Council to invest in the centre, attract new shops and improve car parking and vehicular access for shoppers.

Attendees of the exhibition were in agreement with the proposals and almost 80 per cent noted they would be likely to visit more often if the retail offer was improved.

Business owners and residents alike commented that improvements needed to be made to improve the retail experience and attract more shops to fill empty units.

At the heart of the proposal is a new foodstore to replace the vacant M&S.

Attendees agreed that this would be a main draw for shoppers, creating a positive spill-over effect on neighbouring shops.

An operator for the new foodstore is yet to be confirmed but the team received many suggestions from local businesses and residents about who they would like to see in the space.

At the events, attendees also suggested other improvements that could be made to the Priory Shopping Centre.

This included improving the public realm, new public toilets and suggestions of other brands that shoppers would like to see in Worksop.

Stephen Dacombe, Centre Manager at the Priory Shopping Centre, said: “We are delighted with the level of support and shared aspirations we have received from the local community for the Priory Shopping Centre.

“We are looking to make significant improvements to the site, investing in the centre’s future and helping drive wider town centre improvements forward for Worksop.

“The community buy-in for the plans and hands-on involvement from sharing their views on the scheme to making suggestions for the centre has been invaluable.

“This has been an extremely important factor in the design development for us.”