The home and garden retailer will close its existing store in the Arcade Shopping Centre later this month and re-open a new site in the Tameside One development less than a mile away.

The 163,000sq ft four storey Tameside development has been built to provide a new home for the Advanced Skills Centre for Tameside College, and a new Joint Public Service Centre for Tameside Council and its partners. Wilko will be the only retailer to have a unit on the site, which aims to “provide residents with more cost-effective and customer-friendly facilities under one roof” and also houses a new library, the council’s customer services, Welfare Rights, Citizens Advice, Jobcentre Plus and the Cash Box Credit Union.

The retailer has already signed the lease on the new 19,000sq ft unit, which will open in July. All employees from the existing Ashton-under-Lyne Wilko, which is set close on June 22, will transfer to the new branch. A further 15 new jobs will also be created at the store, which will offer homewares and furnishings, garden and outdoor lifestyle products, DIY and decorating.

Wilko head of retail Craig McGregor said: “We are delighted to have signed the lease at Tameside One and can’t wait to open our doors in July.

“We’ve loved serving hard-working families in Ashton-under-Lyne and are looking forward to welcoming them to our brand-new store.

“The new store is in a fantastic location with great transport links, and we’re sure it will become the go-to place for locals looking to stock up on products for their homes and gardens for years to come.”