Marks and Spencer to open £31M store near Colchester

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 09:40 · Archive

Marks and Spencer will open a £31 million store at Copdock Interchange near Ipswich, ten miles from Colchester, creating over 120 jobs.

Marks and Spencer has confirmed that construction on a new £31 million flagship store will begin early next year. The store will be built at the former Toys R Us site at Copdock Interchange near Ipswich, approximately ten miles from Colchester. The development was approved by Babergh District Council in December.

The 60,000 sq ft store will offer food, fashion and beauty. A spokesperson said the company aims to 'keep the community updated as work progresses'. Planning documents reveal M&S targets an opening date of July 2027. The site has remained vacant since Toys R Us went into administration in 2018.

The new store will create over 120 local jobs. Planning officers determined that the economic benefits of the development, including additional customer choice and workforce upskilling, would outweigh any potential harm to the town centre. This follows the closure of M&S's Colchester High Street store in 2022.

How it is being reported

• Major retailer confirm progress ahead of £31M store openingMarks and Spencer has confirmed progress is being made on a store opening just 10 miles from Colchester.Colchester Gazette · 5 Nov, 09:00
• Major retailer confirm progress ahead of £31M store openingMarks and Spencer has confirmed progress is being made on a store opening just 10 miles from Colchester.Echo (Basildon) · 5 Nov, 09:00

In this story: Marks and Spencer · Copdock Interchange · Ipswich · Colchester · Babergh District Council · Toys R Us

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log