St Marks Place Newark, Notts, - a great place to shop!

SPOTLIGHT ON

SAINT MARKS PLACE Under new ownership with Big plans to help bring more vitality to the town and provide Newark’s loyal customers with an attractive retail environment.

The 150,000sq ft open air shopping centre has recently welcomed 2 new retailers, La Di Da, a specialist ladies Occaasion Wear boutique, and Trespass, the outdoor clothing and Pursuits specialist.

Alongside major retail brands such as M & S, Wilkinsons, New Look & Game, there really is something for the whole family at St Marks. St Marks is also full of independent retailers, offering a wide array of products & services, from beautiful flowers, to local artists work. You can even while away some time having coffee or lunch overlooking the market square. Following the recent letting to Trespass and Ladida, Topland have agreed to let Unit 11 to another National Retailer that will bring a new and exciting use to the scheme.

Topland are also in discussions with a range of major retailers on Unit 7 and 21. Solicitors are instructed to let a unit in Saracens Head Yard to a local independent trader which will further reinforce the variety of offers in this scheme.

St Marks has been acquired by a

privately owned property investment company, “ Topland Group of Companies”. in May 2015 for over £19m. The scheme is anchored by major national retailers, Marks and Spencer and Wilkinson, along with a 512 space secure NCP car park and 32 retail units with other High Street names including New Look/Game/Holland & Barrett/WH Smiths. The scheme forms an integral part of Newark’s attractive central retail area linking the historic Market Place and Stodman Street with the town’s bus station / the towns principle covered car park operated by NCP and a major new Asda store.

The purchase forms part of Topland’s drive to acquire more shopping centres / major multi let assets and follows their acquisition of the Saddlers Centre in Walsall in 2013.

Topland have retained specialist retail agents GCW (London) and FHP (Nottingham) to lease the remaining 4 vacant units and to create new exciting retail space to attract more household names to Newark and Saint Marks Place, in particular.

Topland have also engaged major international architect, Benoys, who are based locally in Newark, to prepare a rebranding/signage/streetscape project for the scheme, which they hope to progress in 2015 .

Benoys will be coming forward

with a plan appraisal in spring that will give the scheme an improved environment and strengthen the links with Market Place and Stodman Street.

Topland are also pleased to announce the launch of a new

website to promote Saint Marks Place and provide an interactive relationship with its customers/retailers. www.saintmarksplace.co.uk.

The site provides up to date information on all retailers within the scheme and provide

them to chose and also purchase any images they would like to have.

news on upcoming events and offers from various retailers.

One of the retailers at St Marks Place is St Marks Gallery, who have a couple of local artists in the Gallery every day painting.

They are happy to talk to you about their work and you can purchase original works of art from them.

Whilst Unit 7 is free, the gallery will work with Topland, to provide special events and exhibitions.

Posters are in place requesting musicians and street performers to register their interest.

There are only three rules, no racist material, no bad language and no political motivated performances. These three rules have no flexibility There has already been a great response, and a covered area is being looked at to allow electrical facilities to allow for musicians instruments and amplifiers. So if you'd like to be involved in a slot showing your skills, then call in at the gallery to register your interest.

GoPhotography are also looking at the following ideas.

Newark Past and Present - Here we asking the public to bring in their old photographs of Newark on selected days, and we can either scan and reprint these or exhibit the originals as part bog the exhibition. We will then try and find these places in the photographs and take an up to date picture to show the changes over the years. We did this once for Balderton, and it proved very successful. So we need your pictures now. Call in to express your interest in supplying pictures, so we can plan several open days where you can bring these in.

"Me and my Mum/Dad" - This is not for a competition, but a studio shoot as a great idea for a present as Mothers Day and Fathers Day come round again.

Again ask at the gallery or call GoPhotography on 01636 614040 We are also looking at an Industrial event, and we'll be approaching Flowserve to see if we can exhibit the history of this great local company.

Formerly Worthington Simpson, In 1901 the company established itself in Newark and built the factory on Hawton Lane, Balderton, Newark. The company became part of the Flowserve Corporation in 2001.

Approximately 300 people are employed at Newark, and through new and old images, show the contribution of the company to the people of Newark.

We'll also be running several general photography competitions with GoPhotography, and these will be; "Newark's Next Top Model" Looking for male or females looking for a photo-shoot.

"Me and My Horse/Pony", Here we'll come out and take a series of images with your horse or pony.

"My Pet Portrait" - Bring your pet in or take them to an allocated photo place and get a great shot for memories.

All these are free to enter and cost nothing for the studio or location shoot. Images taken will be shown to the entrants before publication, allowing

La Di Da Boutique has a stunning array of occasion wear and are St Marks Place newest inhabitant, Samantha Graham, La Di Da’s owner has a vision for helping the ladies & girls of Newark, look their very best and help us all to achieve that million dollar look! Don’t forget that by supporting both of the above businesses you are supporting Newarks Totally Locally Campaign as well, as making your purchases in independents recycles your spending, back into the local economy.

As Director of Retail Property at Topland, Steve Pope comments.

“We have been working hard with our agents and architects and on the ground since acquisition to bring forward a range of initiatives to provide an improved offer at Saint Marks Place for Newark’s shoppers. The letting to Trespass will bring a contemporary outdoor offer to the town centre and La Di Da reinforces the quality independents that we want to encourage in our Courtyards/Lanes. The launch of the website enables our customers to link up with our retail tenants and to stay in touch with more exciting news coming from Saint Marks Place.”

Watch this space!