Store swap plan to bring furniture retailer Lee Longlands to Peterborough shopping park is approved

Plans that will allow a new retailer to move on to a Peterborough shopping park have been given the go ahead.

Proposed changes to units at the Brotherhood Retail Park in Maskew Avenue have been approved by Peterborough City Council.

The approval will allow alterations to the front of the unit currently occupied by home furnishings retailer Dunelm and also pave the way for the creation of a cafe inside the same outlet.

As a result of the planning permission, Dunelm will move into a larger unit on the park while its current home will be given to new arrival furniture retailer Lee Longlands.

Lee Longlands also plans to open a cafe within the store for use by its customers.

The application was submitted to the council by the retail park owner Hobart Activum (Peterborough).

Documents with the application state: “An opportunity has arisen for Dunelm to relocate to a larger unit to achieve the twin objectives of providing a more efficient store layout and enhanced customer experience whilst maintaining continuity of presence at Boulevard Retail Park.

"As a result, Dunelm is set to relocate to Unit A, which has been vacant since 2020 when Currys / PC World moved to a larger unit in Maskew Avenue.

It adds that at the same time Lee Longlands will move into the former Dunelm store and that the furniture retailer intends to offer a small ancillary café serving coffees, sandwiches, pastries, and a limited hot food offer for consumption on the premises.