A MAJOR discount retail store is to move out of Darlington town centre, it has been confirmed.

But hopes are high that the space created by the loss of TK Maxx can form part of a new "masterplan" for the area.

Property firm NewRiver Retail, which bought Darlington's Cornmill Centre earlier this year, also bought the TK Maxx building on Crown Street and says that it has "exciting plans" for the outlet once the retailer has left the building.

The Northern Echo: TK Maxx on Darlington's Crown Street Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

TK Maxx on Darlington's Crown Street Picture: SARAH CALDECOTT

It is understood that TK Maxx will move out of the town centre in the New Year and a new store is set to open at a vacant unit at Darlington Retail Park off Yarm Road.

The unit, next door to Pets at Home, already has signage up announcing the opening of a new TK Maxx at 9am on Thursday, February 16.

Paul Wright, Director at NewRiver, told The Northern Echo: “We were aware of the potential TK Maxx move at the time of acquisition in January this year, however, due to commercial sensitivity, we have not been a position to release any details.

"Now that the plans are confirmed we can disclose that we are working on exciting plans for the existing unit that would dovetail into our strategy for mixed use retail and leisure.

"We are aware of the council’s vision for improvements to the River Skerne and will be working together to explore ways of adopting that vision into our plans.

"We are in discussions with a number of excellent operators and hope to be in a position to submit planning in the near future for this.”

Darlington Council has met with NewRiver officials and the authority's leader Bill Dixon said there is a plan to develop the Crown Street area.

He said: "The property developers who bought these buildings are working on a masterplan for the whole area so we will wait and see what that is.

“They certainly haven’t come into this town to manage empty shops.

“The limited amount of information they have shared with the local authority suggests that they have big plans for the area, but it is case of commercial sensitivity at the moment.”