A £40 million retail park supposed to be complete in October will still not be fully open until Easter – but one of the stores is opening next week and another has been named.

Work to Bicester Shopping Park started a year ago, but due to planning, building and contractual delays its opening date was pushed back, with retailers losing out on Christmas trade.

In October developers Consolidated Property Group (CPG) said that units at the site next to the Kingsmere housing estate would be fitted out in November and December and that the scheme would be ‘fully complete’ by the end of January.

Read again: Bicester retail park won't open this year as planned

It said it would not open until February or March as each tenant fitted out their unit.

Now it says it hopes units will be open for trading by Easter at the latest.

Oxford Mail:

Spokesman Dan Bramwell said: "Works at Bicester Shopping Park are progressing well and it is anticipated that those units already assigned to retailers will be open for full trading by Easter at the very latest.

“However, units will open as and when operators complete their fit-out and this will vary widely over a ten-week period with Nike scheduled to open by the end of January and others during February and March.”

Oxford Mail:

Despite the retail park not being finished, with footpaths still being built around the site and panelling still being put on some of the buildings, sportswear brand Nike has been the first to fit-out its 'factory store' and is opening next Wednesday.

The store is different to a regular high street Nike branch as it is an outlet and offers a mixture of last season's styles along with items made specifically for the outlet.

Also read: Next and M&S set to open at new Bicester retail park

Boots is the latest chain announced to open a branch at the site, joining M&S Simply Food, Next – which will include a Costa Coffee inside – and Pure Gym.

Oxford Mail:

Mobile network EE confirmed in October that it will be opening a branch at the site, too, in February and other occupiers are currently in talks with the developer, details of which will be announced soon.

Bicester Shopping Park - which has had two name changes, originally being called Bicester Gateway and then later being changed to Kingsmere Retail Park - has been a controversial development in the town.

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With its 345 car parking spaces, people are most concerned about the impact it will have on traffic on the A41 which it lies next to, as well as the effects it could have on the town centre’s existing shops.

Oxford Mail:

Plans were previously refused by Cherwell District Council in April 2017 over traffic concerns, but one of the ways in which CPG addressed the worry was by widening the A41 entry, which took place last year.

The new retail park is expected to create more than 300 full-time equivalent jobs for the local area, including part-time roles.