Next plan new store in Eldon Square shopping centre

Feb 1 2010 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

NEWCASTLE’s shopping centre is to be home to one of the largest branches of Next in the country.

The retailer is to move into a flagship store as part of changes to Eldon Square which will see the Leisure centre revamped in exchange for handing over floor space.

Next, one of the UK’s largest clothes stores, will move from its current Northumberland Street branch into the new store as part of plans to transform the city’s shopping centre.

An £8m redevelopment is being discussion by councillors and store managers in the hopes of opening the new shop in spring 2011.

It is thought Eldon Square could not offer enough room for Next to house a flagship store and so the leisure centre will be asked to give up some space.

Newcastle Council is expected to contribute around £3.3m to the scheme, money it will find from borrowing, and repay using rental income from the new store.

In return for losing some space Eldon Leisure will be handed cash for modernisation.

As part of the shake-up the leisure centre will lose six squash courts but will have four state-of-the-art courts rebuilt. Store bosses say two of the current courts are not in general use.

It is part of ongoing efforts to revive the city’s “retail offer”. Already, a new Eldon Square extension is set to see high street giant Debenhams open a four-storey branch this month.