Work on A1 outlet shopping park 'to start in 2026'

Developers hope the outlet village near Grantham will "become a tourist attraction"

Work on a designer outlet shopping centre on the A1 is due to start next year and be completed by 2028, the developer has said.

The planned £100m complex near Grantham, which was originally due to open in 2021, is expected to have 137 units and bring more than 1,200 jobs to the area.

Giles Membrey, the managing director of Rioja Estates, said the scheme had suffered "a lot of setbacks", but would become "a tourist attraction in its own right" when finished.

Councillor Richard Davies, who represents Grantham West on the county council, criticised the delays and said he would prefer to see the site used to support local industrial companies, rather than retailers.

Plans for the Grantham Designer Outlet Village were originally approved by South Kesteven District Council in 2017.

Davies said it had faced "a lot of delays, and 'a lot' is doing some lifting there."

"Our little corner is crying out for business space, decent quality hi-tech workshops - space for businesses to grow," he added.

Mr Membrey said the development had faced pressures including the Covid-19 pandemic, supply issues caused by the Ukraine war and rising inflation.

But he said he was trying to "create something that's massively beneficial, not only for Grantham but also for Lincolnshire".

The site was "one of the most strategic locations in the UK, in terms of where it sits on the A1".

"So we are looking at other hotels and services on the site, so in total there'll be around 1,200 to 1,300 jobs created," he added.

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