Freeport wants to increase food offering to gain trade

The owners of the East Yorkshire shopping village want restrictions lifted, thus enabling them to attract an anchor food store to boost the outlet.

They also want to regularise two food retailers, Thornton's and Julian Graves, which currently trade there.

Hornsea Chamber of Trade has not objected, but two members of the public have written to object saying that lifting restrictions and the impending opening of a Tesco would have an effect on town centre retailers. One has commented that the town centre is becoming a "ghost town."

The owners say there are currently 15 empty shops and lifting restrictions could attract a wider range of businesses.

The application for the 480sq m unit will be considered by councillors on East Riding Council's planning committee next week.

Officers recommend approval "because it will improve the attractiveness of the Freeport, which in turn should attract more visitors and thus more expenditure to Hornsea."

The shopping centre was bought last year by Headrow Commercial Property Services Ltd, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leeds Building Society.

The mutual paid an undisclosed sum for the Freeport, which fell victim to the downturn in consumer spending and called in the administrators in July 2009.

The society is believed to have lent 17m to the former owners of the establishment, Hornsea Estates and Hornsea Estates (No.2), to buy the shopping village in October 2007.