HOME BARGAINS has signed a 15-year lease for The Graftons in a move that will create 45 jobs in Altrincham.

The retailer is the first to sign up for the ground floor of the development and plans to open an 11,000 sq ft store across six existing units, which will front Stamford New Road, George Street and The Mall.

Councillors are due to vote on the proposals, which include amalgamating the units and changing the use of some into retail units, at the planning meeting tonight (October 13).

The news comes after Travelodge signed-up for a 91-room hotel in a six-storey office block above the 25-unit shopping centre.

Miller Developments, who bought the declining centre from insolvency firm MCR in March, have been working with retailers to fill the units as part of their £10m upgrade to the centre.

Miller have said they hope to announce another tenant before Christmas and said they were ‘delighted’ to have secured a ‘national retailer’.

Mark Hewett, Miller retail director, said: “This will act as a catalyst to further lettings at The Graftons and encourage the regeneration of the town.

“We expect this project to create about 100 long-term jobs with this first retailer anticipating employing 45 people alone.”

But there is some concern among residents, Grafton Mall tenants and the Altrincham and Bowdon Civic Society about the changes to The Graftons, which include creating a wall running through the middle of the landmark dome and building a ceiling beneath it.

Trafford Council has received 13 letters and petitions - containing 96 signatures - opposing the plans from people worried about the loss of natural light in Grafton Mall.

One tenant stated that the development has made it ‘extremely dark, noisy and quiet in trade’ and said lots of clients had complained about the changes.

The Altrincham and Bowdon Civic Society also raised concerns about a proposal for a stretch of blank shop frontage on Stamford New Road, which they believe would give the impression of an empty shop.