RETAILERS in Selby celebrating a successful partnership between developers and the local authority that has resulted in a boost for the town centre.

Selby District Council and Dransfield Properties are holding up their Market Cross Shopping Centre scheme as an example of how to encourage town centre retail amid a declining picture of the high street nationally.

With numerous UK retail and restaurant chains announcing difficulties this month, including New Look and Prezzo, Selby has recently welcomed a host of new names thanks to work on the Market Cross shopping centre and surrounding areas.

The centre, which was developed by Dransfield with support from Selby District Council, is anchored by Homebargains ,with other retailers including Holland and Barrett, Thomas Cook, Costa Coffee, Yorkshire Bank as well as Grainger Games alongside some local firms including RK Harris and Sons and the independent café The Hub.

More recently, three new retail units have also been created in New Lane in Selby, adjacent to Market Cross, where Dominoes is the latest retailer to join the line-up.

Managing director of Dransfield Properties, Mark Dransfield, said: “We have worked in town and district centres for the last 25 year and are extremely proud of the partnerships we have forged with local stakeholders as well as forward-thinking local authorities like Selby District Council.”

The newest retailer at Market Cross is Cooplands Bakery, the Scarborough-based bakery chain, which has opened a brand new store in the heart of the shopping centre, between Savers and Bright House. Cooplands, which have 138 shops and 11 cafés nationwide, have made their first foray into Selby, bringing six new jobs to the local area.

Alison Hall, from the Market Cross management team, said: “We are delighted to welcome Cooplands to Market Cross and wish the Selby team all the very best their new store.

“Overall, we are very proud of what we have achieved in Selby town centre, breathing life into the historic town centre and creating a retail shopping destination that people want to visit.”

Originally focussing on food store developments, Leeds-based Dransfield continues to work within this specialised industry but has also now expanded into non-food retail developments and major town centre extensions.

With a strong community ethos, award-winning Dransfield says it is committed to working in partnership with local stakeholders and employing local staff and companies on all developments, which it states is “exactly what has happened at the successful multi-million pound Market Cross Shopping Centre”.