A SHOPPING centre in the heart of a town has been put up for sale.

Garden Square Shopping Centre, situated in Letchworth GC town centre, is on the market.

The Comet contacted current owners Tyburn Vale Letchworth Limited Partnership and the shopping centre’s manager Colin Bell, who both confirmed the news.

The shopping centre in Commerce Way has 39 retail units although a number are currently vacant or under short term leases.

Boots has announced it will be opening an opticians in the centre next Thursday – two doors down from Specsavers Opticians – while Clinton Cards shut on Wednesday.

Letchworth GC town centre manager Lee Boswell said: “The recent spate of good news coming from Letchworth with regards to North Hertfordshire College’s increasing presence in the town and the announcement of the plans at Plinston demonstrates that Letchworth’s future is bright and so any new potential owners are certainly investing in the town at the right time.

“If they can also work closely with the rest of the town’s strategic parties it will surely be to the benefit of themselves and the prosperity of our town.”

Mr Boswell was also not dishearten after it was announced on Wednesday that Letchworth GC has not been chosen as one of 15 new Portas Pilot towns, with the nearest success in Hatfield.

Letchworth GC resubmitted its bid after a failed first attempt in the hope it would be among the second wave of towns which were selected to receive up to �100,000 in government funding and guidance from TV retail guru Mary Portas.

Mr Boswell said: “I would like to pledge to become a Town Team Partner which complements the town centre’s ambitions to improve the future of the town. We have got some plans and hopefully we’ll progress them in the next few months.”

Stevenage was also unsuccessful in a second bid to become a Portas Pilot town.