McArthurGlen Ashford Outlet expansion gets green light

McArthurGlen, the designer outlet group, has received planning permission to extend its Ashford Designer Outlet in Kent, after getting the green light from Ashford Borough Council.

The new extension, which will open in 2018, will add an additional 38 new shops and create 500 jobs. The expansion will take the outlet’s total retail space to 285,000 square feet, and will also include 6 new restaurants and cafes, as well as a new car park providing an additional 725 spaces.

Brands taking the new stores have not yet been named, but they will add to the current 80 brands, which include Abercrombie and Fitch, Hugo Boss, Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger.

To get the extension approved, McArthurGlen has committed to the Council that it will fund a shuttle bus linking the outlet, the town centre and the international train station at weekends and during the school holidays. In addition, the retail group will also provide funds for the enhancement of pedestrian and cycle routes from the station.

Gary Bond, McArthurGlen’s managing director of development, said: “With many major brands wanting to open at Ashford Designer Outlet, we are delighted to have obtained the support of Ashford Borough Council to deliver an even more compelling shopping experience to our customers in the Kent and London areas and the substantial number of tourists who visit.

“We are hugely excited about the opportunities that Ashford Phase 2 will bring to the town and to the wider county. We are now focused on the final stages required to enable building works to start next year.”