Footfall has "increased dramatically" at a Bury St Edmunds shopping centre – with plans for one of three empty units submitted – while another in nearby Ipswich is set for auction after a "decade of troubled times". 

According to the manager of the arc shopping centre in Bury St Edmunds, customers have had a positive response to the opening of Primark and Everyman Cinema, both in the former Debenhams building, leading to an increase in visitors.

This comes as an application for advertisement consent has been submitted to West Suffolk Council for a Deichmann shoe shop to open in the former Peacocks unit within the arc. 

East Anglian Daily Times: Former Peacocks unit within the arcFormer Peacocks unit within the arc (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Allan Hassell, centre manager at arc shopping centre, said: "I cannot confirm any discussions with Deichmann at this stage, but our letting team is working hard to fill our three remaining vacant units.

"We have been really pleased to see the hugely positive response from our customers and tenants to the opening of Primark and Everyman Cinema, both of which are already proving to be very popular.

"As a result, our footfall has increased dramatically, which has given a good boost to arc shopping centre and the wider town centre." 

East Anglian Daily Times: Primark opened in Bury St Edmunds earlier this monthPrimark opened in Bury St Edmunds earlier this month (Image: Charlotte Bond)

Mark Cordell, chair of Our Bury St Edmunds BID, said: "Anytime a national brand looks to open a new outlet in Bury St Edmunds I see it as a real compliment as clearly Bury St Edmunds is perceived as a thriving retail centre." 

East Anglian Daily Times: Mark Cordell, chair of Our Bury St Edmunds BIDMark Cordell, chair of Our Bury St Edmunds BID (Image: Newsquest)

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that Sailmakers shopping centre in Ipswich will go under the hammer with property auctioneers Allsop on Thursday, March 21. 

East Anglian Daily Times: The building will go under the hammer on Thursday, March 21The building will go under the hammer on Thursday, March 21 (Image: Newsquest)

The building has been set with a guide price of in excess of £3million, some £27m less than what it was sold for in 2005. 

George Walker, of Allsop, said: "It is quite a difficult asset to sell because retail has had a decade of troubled times.

"The seller has got a number of these and he is deciding it is time to get out and move on to other things."