Beverley's £125m Flemingate shopping centre opens

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Flemingate development
Image caption,

The development was a decade in the planning and covers 16 acres (6.5 hectares)

A £125m shopping centre has opened in an East Yorkshire market town on the site of a former chemical works.

The Flemingate scheme in Beverley includes a multi-screen cinema, 80-room hotel and a college campus.

Graham Tait, centre manager, said Beverley was one of the top five places to live and "growing all the time".

Martin Sweetland, a sweetshop owner, hoped the scheme would bring people to the town but said he wanted to preserve "our lovely high street."

The development covers 16 acres (6.5 hectares).

It has brands including Debenhams, H&M and Costa Coffee, as well as a 500-space car park and 130 new houses, said developers Hull-based Wykelands.

Beverley is less than 10 miles (16 km) from Hull and one expert said the new centre would have an impact on the city's retail trade.

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Martin Sweetland said too many smaller shops would be a concern

Matthew Hopkinson, of retail analyst Local Data Company, said: "Shiny new shopping centres with new brands that's where people start to flock. There will be an impact on Hull, but it doesn't mean Hull can't fight back.

"It's not about being the same, it's how you differentiate yourself."

There are also some fears among smaller retailers within Beverley.

Martin Sweetland, who runs a sweetshop said: "We hope the new development will bring people to Beverley both to Flemingate and the town."

"But if there are too many smaller shops in there... that's our concern."

Image caption,

The development was first planned a decade ago

Beverley is a historical market town with a population of about 30,000 perhaps best known for its 13th Century Minster.

In 2014 it was named as one of the best places in Britain to live by the Sunday Times, external.

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