Northallerton set to receive major £1m shopping refurbishment

Northallerton could soon see a new shopping arcade in its town.

Property specialists, Mandale has invested £1m into creating the new shopping arcade in the town centre, complete with a domed glass roof.

Mandale is part of a series of Grade A commercial property refurbishments across the North East and beyond, and is currently applying for planning consent to revitalise retail units on the North Yorkshire market town’s Regency Mews.

Along with a parade of six retail units overlooking the Tesco car park - which the firm has owned for 30 years - Mandale recently invested an undisclosed fee to purchase three further high street units.

The two parades are lined via an existing open-air mews – but plans are afoot to transform the outdated cut into an attractive, modern shopping destination that retains its old-world charm.

Mandale’s Joe Darragh said the firm is excited about the prospect of giving the town’s shoppers an investment boost. He said: “It will be spectacular when it’s complete.

“We’re going to create something very special that we’re confident business owners, residents and visitors will all love.”

The high street area already includes the likes of Costa, Pizza Express, New Look and Waterstones, as well as local independent names such as Betty’s tearooms and Barker’s department store.

But Darragh believes action needs to be taken to avoid a deterioration in the offering.

He added: “Northallerton has won a reputation as a lovely place to live and visit but last time I counted there were 12 shops vacant on the high street.

“Unfortunately, Marks & Spencer and Morrisons are among those who’ve pulled out, but we’ve always been big fans of Northallerton and we’re keen to invest money into it and create a real feature.

“We feel the high street looks a little bit unloved at the moment so the new shopping arcade would give it a real boost.”

If planning permission is granted, the development aims to be set to open in less than a year.

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