A NEW manager has taken the reins of York's only shopping centre within the city walls ahead of new tenant announcements.

Sue Anderson-Brown joins the Coppergate Shopping Centre with more than 30 years management experience encompassing retail shopping centres, facilities management and commercial property ventures.

Her appointment follows the departure of previous manager Deb O'Donnell who left to take the centre manager position at the new £90 million Vangarde Shopping Park, and the arrival of new owners Cogent with management agent Capita, which took on the shopping centre from LaSalle.

Most recently Mrs Anderson-Brown was centre director of Centre:MK in Milton Keynes but couldn’t resist the move back to Yorkshire.

She said: "I refer to myself as ‘an adopted Yorkshire lass’, having lived here for more than 15 years and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join such a wonderful centre as Coppergate."

Originally from Cardiff and now living in Sherburn in Elmet, Mrs Anderson-Brown's shopping centre experience includes managing the Arndale Centre in Manchester and The Light in Leeds.

She said: "Before shopping centres I worked from the shop floor upwards to senior management roles within retailers including New Look, Sears Womenswear, Viyella and Moda in Pelle, so I always consider myself to be a true retailer at heart.

"We are incredibly lucky to have such a winning combination of commercial businesses in the Coppergate centre including department store Fenwick, high street retailer Topshop, tourist attraction the Jorvik Viking Centre and our most recent addition, Carluccios café.

"These combined with the location of the centre in the heart of such a beautiful and historic city give us such a unique destination for our visitors to enjoy."

Mrs Anderson-Brown's colleague and the centre’s property manager Marc Mills, Capita, added: "This is a really exciting time for the centre. Sue’s appointment is a great boost to the centre’s management team plus we are close to being able to announce a new high street brand that will be joining our already great mix of retailers."

Mrs Anderson-Brown is currently engaging with all of the tenants in the centre as well as wider city partners including Visit York, The York Retail Forum, Welcome to Yorkshire and York City Council as she works with her Capita colleagues to develop the centre’s plans for the future.