Marks & Spencer reprieves Rhyl store until 2013

Workers at the Rhyl store are being offered an option of redundancy or redeployment

A Marks & Spencer store that was to close next year has been reprieved until the firm opens a new shop.

M&S had planned to shut the store in Rhyl, Denbighshire, which has been in the town since 1932.

Opposition to the move saw a 3,000-signature petition handed to the company on Monday.

But the firm has now said it will continue trading until new a store opens in nearby Prestatyn in September 2013.

The firm had planned to shut the store in January 2012.

When it made the announcement, M&S said it was planning to offer the 55 workers at Rhyl jobs at the new shop, redundancy or deployment to Llandudno or Chester.

Breathing space

The new store will be in a new shopping centre off Prestatyn's High Street and Nant Hall Road, which will also include a Tesco supermarket, a car park and filling station.

The shopping centre scheme was approved by Denbighshire councillors in January. The site was formerly occupied by Kwik Save.

Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane, who lobbied to keep the Rhyl store, said: "This is great news for Rhyl town centre and will give us a breathing space to promote the town and find a suitable replacement ready to jump into the unit in 2013."