THE country’s biggest specialist lighting firm is to launch its biggest ever superstore in Bolton in a further business boost for the town.

Following on news that more than 250 jobs have been created through the regeneration of the Market Place Shopping centre — Pagazzi Lighting will create 17 new positions when it opens the 15,500 sq ft site at the Middlebrook Retail Park next month.

As part of its recruitment, Pagazzi has already taken on a number of people who worked at the town centre BHS store, which recently closed.

Laura Pagan, founder of Pagazzi, said: “We are very much looking forward to getting our biggest ever premises up and running in time for the peak trading period.

“Our new superstore will serve customers throughout Bolton and the north Greater Manchester area.”

The Middlebrook superstore will open on Friday September 23 and will be the firm’s 17th site in the UK.

Ms Pagan explained: “It will be a vast split level store with our biggest display of mirrors and artwork set to dominate the ground floor whilst our comprehensive range of lighting solutions will take over the entire first floor retail space.”

Serving the whole of the north Greater Manchester area, Middlebrook Retail Park, with 11 million visitors per annum and 90,000 cars per week, is the seventh busiest home-furnishings retail park in the UK and the second busiest in the North-West of England.

Pagazzi Lighting aims to offer a ‘one-stop shop’ for the best in lighting with 3,000 individual decorative lighting products on display in its retail stores.

The news is another boost to Bolton’s economy, after a hugely successful food and drink festival and the ongoing development — and job creation — taking place at the Market Place.

Bolton Council’s director of place, Stephen Young said: “We are very pleased that more jobs are being created in Bolton.

“This kind of investment again shows the confidence that the private sector has in our town.”