A NEW sporty footwear brand is heading to the town as Festival Place’s multi-million pound renovation plans begin to take shape.

Skechers, an American lifestyle and performance footwear company, will open a new store in Queen Anne’s Walk – which will showcase its range of sporty shoes for women, men and children.

As well as welcoming the new store, retailer Next has doubled the size of its previous space within Festival Place, which is home to 200 shops and restaurants, and is now able to show off its new fashion, children’s wear and home range to customers.

The announcements form part of the extensive refurbishment plans for the centre, to enhance the variety of shops and restaurants and create a modern and vibrant atmosphere for visitors.

Other major refurbishment work taking place within the shopping centre includes the announcement that Vue Cinema shall be introducing Vue Recliner seating to its screen in spring and plans to expand the dining spots with more restaurants earmarked for Queen Anne’s Walk.

The update from Festival Place comes just a year after it was taken over by AEW Europe, which acquired the site in December 2015.

It announced last year its £6 million revamp proposals for the 1.1 million square foot retail site last year.

Steven Connolly, centre director of Festival Place, said: “Just over a year after the change of ownership, the works to improve Festival Place are progressing at a good pace, and already significant changes can be seen throughout the centre.

“Next’s new store looks impressive, and is proving to be a key attractions in the centre.

“We are delighted to be adding Skechers to the mix of brands, and have a number of further exciting announcements in the pipeline.”

The refurbishment work shall also include the extension of its car parks, which are to undergo significant renovation to improve traffic efficiency and access to the centre.

This is scheduled to begin in March 2017.