£25m regeneration project commences

Work on a £25 million project in Co Down, which is set to create hundreds of new job over the next couple of years, has begun.

Work on the Gilford Mill Designer Outlet is set to be completed and open to the public within 18 months. It is expected to attract approximately 1.87 million visitors each year.

The Orana Group, who are behind the project, and said it was "delighted" that work has finally started.

Chairman John Farmer said: "It's been a long time coming but there have been good reasons for the delays. We changed and improved the scheme with a number of layout changes until we got what we now feel will be an attractive, modern, retail development."

Around 200 construction jobs are likely be created over the next 18 months with a further 500 likely to be created on the retail side of the project.

The scheme will see the early 19th century mill buildings being restored with later unattractive buildings removed along with the addition of new buildings which will be sympathetic to the historic context.

It will also deliver approximately 100,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space on the upper and lower ground levels plus somewhere in the region of 30,000 square feet of arts, exhibition and entertainment areas on the first and second floors.

In total the plans will provide over 50 retail units and three to four restaurants. Phase two of the development will bring the total space to over 200,000 square feet on a site extending 32.5 acres.

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