A homeware brand could be interested in moving to Witham.

Wilkinson has been named as one of the big names hoping to be enticed to the town centre’s Newlands Shopping Centre.

The claim emerged during debate about a planning application from Morrisons to extend its own store by 70 per cent.

Braintree Council’s planning committee rejected £10million investment at the Braintree Road supermarket on the grounds it could damage Tesco’s town centre store and plans to revamp the ageing Newlands centre.

Witham mayor Michael Lager said: ““NewRiver Retail [the owners of Newlands Shopping Centre] are known to be contemplating a dry goods store such as Wilkinson, not a food store, and that must also be why they have not objected.”