ANOTHER major boost has been handed to the bosses of the town centre Market Place shopping centre with the opening of a new flagship Next store.

The retailer has launched the new store inside the centre, which is double the size of its previous Market Place premises.

The move is seen as a show of commitment by Next to the Market Place as the centre undergoes a major £14 million regeneration project that will see restaurants, bars and a cinema arrive to form a new retail and leisure complex.

It is the first new store Next has opened in the country in 2015.

The former Next site, situated opposite the new premises, has now closed, but the centre is already in talks with another retailer about occupying the space.

The bigger shop has not created any more jobs — but no positions from the previous store have been lost.

Store manager Matt Jones said: “It is just amazing, we have such a nice store here, with more room and all new fixtures and fittings. It looks great.

“I was based at the other store but I am really excited to have made the move across and can’t wait to see the cinema and restaurants open around us — it will really pull the whole centre together.”

The new Next is offering a wider range of menswear, womenswear and children’s clothing and will can now offer more services including supplying flowers and furniture.

Next area manager Claire Arnold said the move showed that Next plans to be part of the Market Place for the long-term.

She said: “We are very excited to be a part of everything that is going on here and we are looking forward to seeing it all finished.

“The new shop looks stunning, everything is brand new and up to date.

“There is a lot more on offer for people."

Market Place centre manager Nikki Wilson-Cooke said: “This really is a flagship store and we are absolutely delighted with it.

“It is a real statement of commitment for us from one of the major retail brands around.”