Bedford MP: "The town is ready to welcome M&S back"
Mohammad Yasin is doubling down on his efforts to get M&S back into the town centre.
Hot on the heels of our news last Tuesday that M&S is searching for sites in 500 potential locations, the Bedford & Kempston MP is piling on the pressure.
Mr Yasin had already written to M&S CEO Stuart Machin on the back of the Universal announcement, pleading for the return of the popular store.
But following our story on the Bedford Today website that M&S is looking at three possible stores – Bedford south and Putnoe, as well as Flitwick – the tenacious MP has written again.
And this time, he’s suggesting the store move into the unoccupied Debenhams and Beales site in the town.
He said: “I am writing to express how pleased I am to hear that Marks & Spencer is actively considering a return of an M&S Food Hall to Bedford. I continue to hear from constituents who greatly miss having an M&S presence in the town, and the response on my social media pages recently has been overwhelmingly positive. There is clearly strong local appetite for your return.”
However, for those who still lament the loss of the town centre store – which closed in May 2019 and was replaced by B&M – M&S’s hunt for new locations has a strict criteria this time around. A fact not lost on our MP.
The store must be 21,500+ sq ft
And sit on a 2+ acre site
With dedicated car parking of 150+ spaces
In a location edge of centre or out of town
Mr Yasin admitted: “I fully recognise the criteria M&S has set out for future sites in the region. While I appreciate the commercial logic behind these requirements, I would strongly urge you to also give serious consideration to a town centre offering, whether as an alternative or even in addition. Bedford's town centre is undergoing significant rejuvenation and the scale of investment in the wider area is exceptional.”
And with Universal Studios and East West Rail project moving forward, he added: “The town is ready to welcome M&S back.
“Bedford is positioning itself as one of the most important growth hubs in the region. Footfall is expected to rise exponentially, not only from visitors but also from the large workforce of construction professionals who will soon be facilitating the project. This is a major, long-term opportunity for retail anchor brands.
“We are fortunate to have a vibrant town centre with a strong base of independent SMEs; however, we are still missing several of the larger household names that residents expect in a growing regional centre.
"An M&S Food Hall with potentially an M&S Clothing Essentials offer with a click-and-collect point would fill a significant gap. Sites such as the currently unoccupied Debenhams and Beales, for example present viable town-centre-adjacent opportunities that balance accessibility, visibility, and future growth.
“I also want to acknowledge the positive development of M&S's new contract with AF Blakemore, which you will know has a large, purpose-built multi-temperature distribution centre on Manton Lane here in Bedford. This strengthens the case even further for renewed investment locally and underlines the strong operational link between M&S and our area.”