Plans for a new Marks and Spencer food store on the Fylde coast have been formally approved, marking a significant development for the area and expected to create around 50 jobs. Wyre Council has confirmed that a final legal agreement has been signed – according to the Blackpool Gazette.
This will allow developers LondonMetric Retail to proceed with the 21,500 sq ft store off Norcross Lane. The scheme had previously secured planning consent in October 2025, subject to a Section 106 agreement and other conditions.
The new store is intended to replace M&S’s smaller Cleveleys food store on Victoria Road West, whose lease is set to expire in 2026. Council planners had made approval of the Fylde coast development contingent on a legal agreement covering travel planning contributions and biodiversity net gain requirements. They had warned that the scheme would be refused if the agreement was not finalised by late December. With the Section 106 agreement now concluded, Wyre Council has issued a decision notice approving the plans, subject to more than 30 conditions. While no timetable has yet been confirmed for the closure of the existing Cleveleys store, it is expected to shut next year once the new development is ready.
The Fylde coast store forms part of Marks and Spencer’s wider strategy to expand and modernise its Food estate. The retailer is actively seeking large, highly visible sites capable of stocking the full M&S Food range. The company aims for an average store size of 18,000 sq ft to enable a fuller shopping offer and accommodate larger trolleys for family shoppers. M&S has identified 500 potential locations across the UK for new and renewed stores as part of its plan to modernise and rotate its store estate, which is expected to reach 180 full-line stores and 420 Food stores.
This strategy includes the conversion of 12 former Homebase sites into some of the largest standalone M&S Food stores in the UK, the first of which is scheduled to open in Cannock before Christmas 2025. Between November 2025 and March 2026, M&S plans to open or modernise 20 stores, creating approximately 800 jobs. The retailer has cited strong performance from new stores opened over the past three years, with locations such as Selby’s Three Lakes Retail Park delivering above-average growth in food market share.
Alex Freudmann, Managing Director of M&S Food, said in November 2025: “The strong performance of our new M&S food stores gives us the confidence to explore even more locations across the UK, from Elgin to Exmouth. With more than twenty stores opening or modernised before the end of the financial year, we are moving faster. Our team want new sites where we could open a large M&S Food store as we deliver on our strategy to bring the right stores to the right places and offer the best shopping experience, range and availability for our customers.”
M&S has emphasised that all new stores follow a modernised format, featuring extended ranges, wider aisles, larger car parks, and improved accessibility. The retailer is particularly focused on providing stores that can meet the needs of weekly shoppers, families, and customers seeking a complete M&S Food experience.
The Fylde coast development will be among the largest stores in the region, reflecting M&S’s commitment to providing high-quality food retail in locations with strong customer demand.
The new store is expected to become a key retail destination for the Fylde coast, supporting the local economy through job creation and increased footfall in the area. It is part of a nationwide push by M&S to strengthen its food business, modernise its store estate, and expand the availability of its in-house designed, trend-led products to new and existing markets.
