Labour candidate Andrew Pakes wants Peterborough M&S meeting

Marks & Spencer said changing shopping habits were behind the closure plan

A Labour politician has called for a round-table meeting in a bid to keep a Marks & Spencer store in a city centre.

M&S plans to shut its store in the Queensgate Shopping Centre, Peterborough, because of changing shopping habits.

Andrew Pakes, Peterborough's Labour & Co-operative candidate, wants everyone involved to try to find a solution.

The city's Conservative MP has said he is trying to persuade M&S to retain a presence.

Mr Pakes described M&S's closure plan as "desperately damaging".

"The real challenge for us is to make sure Queensgate's owners, M&S and the council sit around the table together and come up with a solution at least to keep a food hall in the city centre," Mr Pakes told the BBC.

"If we lose the food hall, we lose an incredible part of the city centre's offer."

He added: "This is a desperately damaging decision by M&S to shut their Queensgate store and leaves yet another hole in our city centre."

Why is M&S planning to leave?

• M&S regional manager Craig Burton said shopping habits were changing

• The retailer was "rotating" its "store estate" to make sure it had the "right stores to offer customers"

• Mr Burton said in recent years M&S had "invested over £31m" in East of England stores

• He said staff would be offered "alternative roles with M&S wherever possible"

Peterborough MP Paul Bristow said recently that he hoped to persuade M&S to stay as a food-only store.

He said he was aiming to have talks with bosses.

In 2021, John Lewis announced it would leave Queensgate Shopping Centre after almost 40 year of trading there.

Frasers is set to move in to the former John Lewis unit.

Peterborough City Council leader Mohammed Farooq said, in a recent online column, that M&S's announcement was "disappointing".

But he said it was reassuring that the company had "confirmed its commitment" to other stores at Serpentine Green and Brotherhood Retail Park.

"Our focus is on supporting those staff who are impacted by this announcement and we will work closely with M&S on that aspect," he said.

"I am also assured that a good number of staff will have the opportunity to transfer to other M&S stores, thereby limiting redundancies."

He said Frasers' plan for a Queensgate store was "fantastic news".