PLANS to introduce new retail pods and refreshment vans at Broughton Shopping Park have received the green light in a bid to improve the experience of visitors.

Proposals for temporary ‘pop-up’ shops were put forward in August by Broughton Unit Trust which runs the retail park in Flintshire on behalf of parent company British Land PLC.

Representatives said the aim was to boost the services on offer for a period of up to five years.

The application has now been approved after gaining the backing of officers from Flintshire Council.

Chester and District Standard:

Examples of the new retail pods and refreshments vans which could be introduced at Broughton Shopping Park. Source: Broughton Unit Trust

In documents submitted to county planners, the company said: “British Land Plc across all their assets, aim to create buildings and environments which offer the highest quality of design in both form and function with engaging architecture and a fully integrated public realm.

“The ‘pop-up’ retail pod initiative is a way of looking beyond individual buildings to think about the spaces around them.

“The units provide attractive places to rest or have lunch outside while people are shopping to create a greener, more pedestrian friendly environment.

Chester and District Standard:

“The general principle is to improve and enliven empty or underused spaces by creating variety and interesting structures with integrated landscaping, to make their retail centres look and feel more unique and distinctive.”

In total the units will take up a space measuring close to a thousand square metres.

The company said similar temporary units were already in existence in other parts of the retail park.

Officials added that many of the pods would be made from reused shipping containers, thus causing less harm to the environment than building permanent shops.