These expansion plans have been approved for a Shropshire TK Maxx

A TK Maxx store will be offering significantly more choice for shoppers after planners approved a second floor.

Shropshire Council has given the green light to Shrewsbury Retail’s plans for Unit 8 on Meole Brace Retail Park - the home of Shrewsbury’s TK Maxx.

The plan will see the creation of a ‘mezzanine’ above the ground floor.

The mezzanine will add another 50 per cent to the floor space available at the shop - around 1,625sq m.

The application asked for permission to ‘transfer’ floor space previously approved for Unit 7A - being built in the corner of the retail park next to TK Maxx to instead “form additional mezzanine floorspace in Unit 8.”

It means the corner unit will have smaller floor space than originally envisioned.

A transport statement submitted with the application said: “Overall, there would not be any increase in floorspace when compared to what is consented.”

In a decision notice approving the new plan Shropshire Council said that it believed the development “would have no adverse impact on the vitality and viability of Shrewsbury town centre” because of the trade off in taking space from the other planned unit.

It said: “The proposed installation of a mezzanine floor within Unit 8 to provide additional floor area the same as the reduction in floorspace approved at unit 7a would not change the original assessment and conclusion that the proposal would have no adverse impact on the vitality and viability of Shrewsbury town centre.

“It is therefore considered that the provision of a mezzanine floor within unit 8 with a floor area the same as that being lost at unit 7a is acceptable subject to the development approved for Unit 7a not being completed in accordance with the original planning permission.”

The decision also It also said that the size and availability of parking is acceptable for the addition.

It said: “It was also considered that the level of parking was acceptable and that the proposed improvements to the internal access routes will mitigate the additional traffic flow arising from the increased retail floor area at this established out of town retail park.”