TOP store Marks and Spencer today announced a £2.9 million expansion of its Burnley store - to spearhead the major re-development of the Curzon Street area of town.

Work which starts on Monday will provide an extra 10,000 sq ft of selling space on two floors, a wider range of goods and clothing, customer toilets, and baby changing facilities.

The company says the major re-vamp will be completed by next Spring.

The development fits in with the £12.5 million new shops and car park plan for Curzon Street, right next to the M and S store.

That project has been planned for more than two years and town centre developer Great Portland Estates and its Burnley council partners have said they hoped it would inspire Marks and Spencer to upgrade its premises. The development will be completed before the Curzon Street plan gets off the ground. Marks and Spencer says the improvements will provide six extra fitting rooms, a dedicated financial services area and a customer information point.

The store - last expanded 25 years ago - will also get an upgraded customer ordering service, an escalator, customer lift and more tills.

Store manager, David Bohn, described the development as "exciting".

He said: "The store has benefited from an extremely loyal customer base and we are confident they will be delighted with the improved range of merchandise that will be available."

Marks and Spencer have expressed concern that the Curzon Street development scheme would disrupt its arrangements for servicing the store.

A company spokesman was today unable to say whether this problem had been overcome and if it had dropped its objections.

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