A POPULAR shopping centre has revealed plans to renovate a unit in effort to make space for multiple brands to move in after Braintree Council approved the application.

Braintree Village, in Charter Way, submitted plans to the authority to renovate one of its units to "revitalise" the village and boost investment.

Bosses plan to divide the unit into three separate spaces, whilst adding a 37sqm front extension, creating mezzanines, and making other changes to the shopfronts.

Braintree and Witham Times: Hot spot - shoppers at Braintree Shopping VillageHot spot - shoppers at Braintree Shopping Village (Image: Braintree Shopping Village)

Located near the southern entrance to the shopping village, the retail unit is currently occupied by shoe retailer Clarks, however papers in the planning application confirms the business is leaving the unit.

The report said: “The unit is currently occupied by Clarks, which is vacating the store in 2024 following a desire to downsize.

“With the current floor area of the unit too large for demand in the current retail market and therefore proving difficult to let, the applicant proposes to amend the unit, to introduce three smaller units instead, to reflect current demand.

Braintree and Witham Times: Plan - the current layout for the G5 unitPlan - the current layout for the G5 unit (Image: Braintree District Council)

Braintree and Witham Times: Changes - the plan for the three units once the work is carried outChanges - the plan for the three units once the work is carried out (Image: Braintree District Council)

“This will ensure that this prominent area of the village remains a welcoming environment for visitors arriving through the southern entrance.”

Braintree Village also plans to adjust the unit’s rear, by replacing its back windows with entrance doors to access a service corridor between the soon-to-be three split spaces.

New shopfront entrances will be installed as well as signage.

Josef O’Sullivan, centre director at Braintree Village, said: "We’re always looking for ways to enhance and diversify our offering at Braintree Village to keep our guests coming back time and time again.

"These plans will help us continue to bring new experiences for guests to enjoy, including the relocation of Clarks to our north entrance as a key attraction for our guests, and provide new opportunities for brands to join us at Braintree Village.

"We’ll share more details on our plans in due course.”