A £90 MILLION shopping complex on the edge of York is taking shape after newts held up work – and it is set to open at the start of next April.

The steel skeleton is being erected for a new John Lewis store as part of the Vangarde development at Monks Cross, also including Marks & Spencer and Next stores and providing millions of pounds in funding for the city’s community stadium.

The three stores’ framework – involving 1,400 tonnes of steel and 50,000 bolts – will take 16 weeks for Caddick Construction to complete, with the 339,000sq ft retail park earmarked to open by April 10 next year. It will create 1,000 jobs and boost York’s economy by £12 million to £14 million a year, despite claims it will harm city-centre businesses.

Work was held up following the discovery in January of protected great crested newts, which will now be housed at a new wetland habitat. The scheme will include five or six restaurants, with their first operators due to be announced within days.

Richard France, managing director of developers The Oakgate Group, said the firm has paid City of York Council £18 million in planning contributions agreed when the development was approved last year, including £13.75 million towards the stadium.

He said: “To see work under way is almost a dream come true, and we believe this will benefit the whole city.

“York will get a great quality scheme putting it back on the Yorkshire shopping map as it competes with other cities. The Leeds Trinity development has opened with a fantastic flourish, but next year it will be York’s turn.

"We could never have done this in the city centre as it is just not big enough to cope with this sort of development, but it will bring more people into the city as they are attracted to the new stores.”

Mr France said Oakgate would have “dearly loved” to also build the stadium, but European procurement rules prevented this. An on-site webcam will soon be installed so people can monitor progress on the scheme, financially backed by Bank Leumi (UK) plc.