Lakeside Shopping Centre submits £180m development plans

An artist's impression of the proposed interchange area at Lakeside

A major shopping complex in Essex has submitted plans for a £180m extension.

The proposals for Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock include up to 40 new shops and an integrated transport hub.

Its owners, Capital Shopping Centres, submitted a planning application for the 325,000 sq ft (30,000 sq m) expansion on Wednesday.

If approved, building work could begin in 2013 and the scheme could open in 2016, a spokesman for the project said.

Developers claim the extension would create 1,000 jobs in the construction stage and 2,600 permanent roles on completion.

The application follows a public consultation earlier in the year.

Lakeside, which opened in 1990, currently employs 6,000 people and sees about 25 million shoppers each year.