New £125m designer outlet in Grantham gets green light

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Feb 6, 2019

Plans for a 220,000-square-foot designer outlet centre in Grantham have been approved, paving the way for the arrival of hundreds of premium brands to the Lincolnshire town.

The designer outlet was proposed by regional department store group Oldrids and Downtown in partnership with retail operator Freeport.

The project involves a £125m investment to redevelop the existing Downtown store in Grantham to add a 220,425-square-foot outlet centre and 107 new shops, creating more than 1,700 new jobs.

The proposals also include a new ‘Downtown at Home’ store, indoor leisure space, and new tourist and visitor centres, as well as the creation of a high-tech hub and incubator startup offices.

“Our huge investment will significantly enhance the retail offer and bring a host of new facilities and job opportunities to the region. This is a development that will attract visitors and tourists to the area, boosting the local economy,” said Richard Broadhead, managing director of Oldrids & Downtown.

Iestyn Roberts, chief executive of Freeport Retail has previously described the Downtown site as “the perfect location” for a premium outlet centre. The project marks the firm’s return to the UK, 12 years after the sale of its UK outlet centres.