Recession no obstacle for Sanderson Arcade, Morpeth

Oct 26 2009 by David Black, The Journal

A FLAGSHIP £32m retail development in a Northumberland market town has bucked the recession as it is now virtually full.

Morpeth’s Sanderson Arcade scheme – which includes a 27-unit, Edwardian-style shopping mall and piazza in the town centre – is 95% occupied after a recent flurry of new lettings.

Four more businesses have signed up to take units in the arcade, and trade alongside leading high street names such as Marks & Spencer, New Look and Waterstone’s. The 250-job project, which started in summer 2008 and will transform the town’s shopping facilities, has thrived despite the deepening economic gloom and has attracted healthy interest from retailers keen to be part of it.

Sanderson Arcade will officially open for business on November 12, with developers Morpeth 11 delighted with the recent spate of new lettings.

The firm took over the project four years ago when a previous developer, Trinity Developments, parted company with landowner Ethel Austin after drawing up a £60m shopping, leisure and housing scheme.