Work on a £140 million designer outlet shopping centre on the A1 is due to start this year and be completed by 2028, the developer has said. The new shopping centre, which is expected to have 137 shops, cafes, and leisure outlets, will bring more than 1,200 jobs to a rundown, struggling town close by.

The complex was originally scheduled to open in 2021, but work is finally set to begin this year. Giles Membrey, the managing director of Rioja Estates, said the scheme had suffered “a lot of setbacks”, but would become “a tourist attraction in its own right” when finished. As well as the usual chain stores, there will be facilities for local artisans and business pop-ups to help create a more town-centre feel. To that end, there will also be public green spaces and squares for shoppers to relax in and enjoy.

Grantham Designer Outlet Village will be the UK’s only premium outlet with a visible frontage and direct access from the UK’s 3rd busiest highway (A1), the developers say.

They said: “With the construction of the new junction south of Grantham on the A1 completed, Grantham Designer Outlet Village is one of the few Outlets in the UK to have both visibility and direct access from a major highway.

“At Grantham Designer Outlet Village, we’re creating a state-of-the-art retail destination that will transform our visitors’ shopping and leisure experience.

“Inspired by the surrounding countryside, our buildings are conceived as traditional forms with contemporary finishes and high-quality shop fronts. Our research tells us to expect 3.8M visitors to visit Grantham Designer Outlet Village.”

Last year, Grantham was described as a “dump” and a “shanty town” according to YouTube channel Turd Towns. Their video, entitled The Worst Towns In the Flat World of  Lincolnshire, names 7 Lincolnshire towns as being some of the worst in the country, including Grantham, Gainsborough, Grimsby, Boston, Cleethorpes, Scunthorpe and Skegness.

The new shopping centre will be just three miles from Grantham, as well as being easily accessible from the A1 motorway. The designer shopping village is expected to pull in visitors from Lincoln, Nottingham, Leicester, Peterborough and Cambridge.

It will be a 50 minute drive from Leicester and a 65 minute drive from Cambridge and 3.5 million shoppers are predicted to visit it annually.

The designer outlet village will include free wifi, fastcharge car park points, active media boards, a VIP suite, ATMs and shop mobility.

However not everyone is thrilled at the plans.Councillor Richard Davies, who represents Grantham West on the county council, criticised the delays and said he would prefer to see the site used to support local industrial companies, rather than retailers.

Plans for the Grantham Designer Outlet Village were originally approved by South Kesteven District Council in 2017.

Davies said it had faced “a lot of delays, and added:”Our little corner is crying out for business space, decent quality hi-tech workshops – space for businesses to grow,” he added.

However Mr Membrey said with the development he was trying to “create something that’s massively beneficial, not only for Grantham but also for Lincolnshire”.

The site was “one of the most strategic locations in the UK, in terms of where it sits on the A1”.

“So we are looking at other hotels and services on the site, so in total there’ll be around 1,200 to 1,300 jobs created,” he added.