A consultation has been launched to gauge residents' views on plans for TK Maxx to relocate from Stevenage town centre to the Roaring Meg Retail Park.

This comes ahead of a forced closure of the current site, after the landlord served notice - with the chain warning jobs will be lost if its one "genuinely realistic opportunity" to remain in the town is not approved.

A website has been set up so that residents can give their comments on plans that will "bring more jobs and sustainable economic growth" to Stevenage at the Roaring Meg.

The existing TK Maxx needs a new home to enable the redevelopment of that part of the town centre as part of a wider town centre masterplan.

TK Maxx and Homesense, its sister store specialising in furniture and homewares, wish to relocate to a vacant unit at Roaring Meg Retail Park that "has never been let since the demise of Toys R Us in 2018".

This will enable existing employees to remain in Stevenage and transfer to the new store, as well creating further new jobs in the combined store.

The store has said it has "undertaken a detailed and comprehensive investigation into all other possible relocations in Stevenage", and found Roaring Meg Retail Park to be "the only realistic option for retaining the company in Stevenage and prevent them from leaving altogether".

Peter Everest, managing partner of the owners of Westgate Shopping Centre, voiced concerns about the proposal in May.

He said the arrival of Debenhams in the Roaring Meg - now the newly-opened Marks & Spencer - "unquestionably commenced a downward spiral of trade in the town centre," and that "with fewer key retailers in the town centre, the town is losing retail attraction".

Residents can also make comments on the Stevenage Council planning portal at https://bit.ly/3NGpbnb using the reference 22/00385/FPM

For more information, and to submit your views, go to https://roaringmegplans.co.uk.

The website has been set up so especially for residents to give their comments. Questions and comments can also be sent to stevenage@quatro-pr.co.uk.