LONGBRIDGE'S £100 million town centre shopping development has received a fresh boost with two new major high street retailers signing up for space there, creating jobs for the area.

Smyths Toys Superstores - one of the UK's leading providers of children's entertainment products - is taking up 15,000 sq ft on a 15-year lease, at a starting rent of £300,000 a year.

The store is set to open in October, bringing "a raft" of new jobs.

And Holland & Barrett, the health product chain, recently opened its doors at its 2,400 sq ft unit next to Mountain Warehouse after signing a 10-year lease at £85,000 a year.

The newcomers join Boots, Poundland and the Midlands' largest Marks & Spencer store at Longbridge Town Centre.

Ailbhe Carroll, property manager at Smyths Toys said: “With a great mix of retailers and an outstanding location, Longbridge Town Centre presents us with an opportunity to significantly increase our retail offer in the area.

“We are pleased to be creating employment opportunities for local people and look forward to offering our customers the best range and quality of children’s products at the most competitive prices.”

The two new signings mean that the second phase of Longbridge Town Centre is now close to full capacity.

Mike Murray, development director at St. Modwen Properties, said: “Holland & Barrett and Smyths Toys Superstores are two of the most successful names in UK retail at the moment and their commitment to Longbridge is a major endorsement of the growing success of the town centre and the Longbridge development as a whole.

“With 64,000 shoppers now visiting the town centre each week, we are fulfilling our vision of creating a thriving retail destination as well as a hub for the hundreds of thousands of people who live, work and study at Longbridge.

“We are in talks with a number of interested retailers for the last two units, and we expect to progress plans for phase 3 – which will be leisure-led – later this year.”

St. Modwen has invested a total of £300 million to transform the former MG Rover site since 2003.

Four hundred family homes have been created along with shops, restaurants, offices, the £66m Bournville College, Longbridge Technology Park and the new Austin Park.

Work has started on site on the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine (RCDM) accommodation building and Longbridge Retirement Village is due to open in 2017.