A NEW footbridge was installed at Cheshire Oaks over the weekend to improve accessibility to the retail park in Ellesmere Port.

Linking the north of the site with Hylton Court and Thornton Road, the aim of the new bridge is to benefit the 2,600 employees who work at the centre and encourage more shoppers to discover the town.

The move is said to be a milestone in the phased £40 million expansion of the park which started construction in February this year.

Already the largest designer outlet in the UK with more than 145 stores, it will introduce an additional 25 new fashion, food and drink brands, as well as new facilities such as a children’s play zone, expanded community space, Changing Places facility and a new decked car park.

The expansion will also create over 300 new jobs for the local community, maintaining its position as the principal employer in Ellesmere Port.

Construction partner, Mace Group managed the installation of the new footbridge, starting at 4pm on Sunday through to completion at 3am this morning (September 10).

Mace Group will now start the construction of new footpaths and complete some additional works to the bridge, with the footbridge scheduled to be open and operational by next month.

Kenny Murray, centre manager, said: “This is a landmark moment for our latest expansion and demonstrates our ambition to support the local community by creating better connectivity between Cheshire Oaks and Ellesmere Port town.”

This pictures of the installation were taken by members of the Community Ranger Service who work with members of other organisations to provide a safe, friendly, welcoming experience for people visiting Ellesmere Port and Neston.