PRIMARK has finally announced its opening date for a new store in the centre of York, and say it will create 70 more jobs than first expected.

The discount giant's Coppergate store is due to open in November, it has been confirmed, more than three years after the firm's intentions for York were first revealed.

Recruitment has already started for the 221 jobs Primark says the new shop will create, once it opens this winter.

After months of refurbishment and building work at the former Marks and Spencers site, the Coppergate Centre's manager Pippa Unwin will be handing the keys over to Primark for the shop fitting later this week.

The company had previously said last year that they hoped to open in spring of this year.

Ms Unwin said: "We’re very excited to see Primark starting the recruitment process for the new Coppergate store ahead of their November opening.

"It will be a great time of year to have another major name join Fenwick, Topshop and Boots in the square, and seeing how popular the Monks Cross store is already proving to be, it should be a great asset to the city centre."

York Press:

Primark will be the newest addition to the Coppergate Centre

The building work started at the Coppergate store last year, and has seen the contractors add another 10,500 sq ft of retail space to the unit making a new 34,400 sq ft store.

The Coppergate store will be Primark's second in York, after the May opening of their 100,000 sq ft Monks Cross site, which the company said has seen impressive trade.

A spokesman said: "We are pleased to have seen such a positive reaction from the people of York to the opening of the Primark store at Monks Cross Shopping Park.

"Everyone involved with the store is delighted with the number of shoppers who have been attracted to the store. We are confident that our customers will continue to enjoy the shopping experience for a long while to come!"

The news has been welcomed by other retailers in the city, who say the big brand names like Primark help attract people into the city centre.

Frank Wood, chairman of the city's retail forum, said: "Primark are a huge footfall driver for the city, and they have shown a lot of support for the city centre."

It is particularly pleasing to see the company moving in to the centre of town as well as the out-of-town Monks Cross site, he added.

"We need big companies in the city centre, when there are so many retailers closing down and so many bars and restaurants opening up.

"That area [of York] has been struggling because of the floods, this will be a big boost for them."