WORK is under way at Swindon's Outlet Village to regeneratie the historic Long Shop building, part of the Grade II-listed Great Western Railway Works.

The regeneration is part of a £35-million investment to incorporate the Long Shop as part of the extension and enhancement of the Outlet Village, with the creation of around 350 new jobs once the works are all finished in early 2015. This will bring the total number of people employed at the Outlet to 1,100, from its current 750.

Tina Cumpstey, centre manager at the Outlet Village, said: “Not only will the extension and refurbishment of the centre bring us new, sought-after brand names, especially in fashion, but also a fresh sense of excitement to the whole shopping experience, and one that is linked to the town’s historic connection with the railways and the iconic architecture of the Great Western Railway Works. Shoppers locally and further afield will now be able to experience and enjoy first-hand the refurbished Long Shop, with its conservation now ensured for future generations.”

The centre received more than 3.5 million shoppers last year, attracted by the likes of Crew Clothing Co, French Connection, Jaeger, Kurt Geiger, L.K. Bennett and Ted Baker.

Justin Tomlinson, MP, Member of Parliament for North Swindon, said: “The redevelopment of McArthurGlen’s Swindon Designer Outlet will bring hundreds of jobs to the local community, both throughout the construction phase and in the shops and restaurants once the project is completed. The expansion will also drive economic growth as it draws in shoppers from the wider area, and I welcome any development which embraces Swindon’s rich history and restores such a key building to its former glory.”

As part of the first phase of the relaunch, due to open in Spring 2014, Swindon Designer Outlet is redesigning its existing food quarter area and bringing two exciting new restaurants.

The second and final phase launching in Spring 2015 phase, including the conversion of the Long Shop which is due for completion in October 2014, will create up to 30 new stores – making the total number at the outlet around 120 - and add nearly 50,000 sq ft of new retail space. This will allow for 25 new brands, five new restaurants, as well as creating a specially designed events space to attract shoppers from among the 2.7 million inhabitants who live within a 60-minute drive of the centre, as well as tourists visiting the West Country.

This will be the third extension of the centre, developed and is managed by McArthurGlen, Europe’s leading designer outlet specialist, since it opened in 1997, nearly 20 years ago. The centre has since 2008 been owned by the UK Outlet Mall Fund, managed by Henderson Global Investors and in which McArthurGlen is also an investor.

Swindon Designer Outlet is part of Swindon’s heritage site, which also includes the headquarters of the National Trust, the English Heritage National Monuments Record, the STEAM Museum of the Great Western Railway. Planning permission for the new extension of Swindon Designer Outlet and the conversion of the Long Shop was granted by Swindon local authorities in December 2012 – nearly 140 years after the Long Shop was built in 1874.