MORE space could be added to a Witney shopping centre to encourage another retailer to move into the last remaining vacant unit.

The owners of the Woolgate Shopping Centre have applied to create more retail space in the first floor of the extension.

Work to add 23,500 sqft of new shopping space, which has cost more than £1m, started in October, and was set to be finished this autumn. However, if plans get the go-ahead from West Oxfordshire District Council, it could take months more of building work before it is complete.

The Woolgate Shopping Centre is owned by Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS).

Neil Hardiman, USS’s development manager, said: “We are close to finalising terms with a quality retailer, that will be new to Witney, who wishes to take the whole of our remaining un-let unit in the Woolgate Shopping Centre extension.

“The recently submitted planning application is to modify this unit by creating some additional back-of-house floorspace at rooftop level, to meet the specific operational requirements of this retailer.

“Unfortunately, for reasons of commercial confidentiality, until the contracts are signed by both parties, we are unable to disclose the retailer’s name.”

Rumours have been circulating around the town that clothing shop H & M may be the retailer negotiating for the last unit in the Woolgate Shopping Centre.

However, H & M told the Gazette that it had not signed any lease in the town.

Harriet Kerr, spokesman for USS, confirmed that the extra work would be finished by the end of the year.

She said: “A modest modification is what I would call it, it’s not a big deal, but we do need it.”

In plans submitted to the district council for approval, USS has stated that the extra 136 sqm is needed by the retailer. It will be accessed by a new stair and lift, provided by the tenant.

Last month, fashion house Next moved into one of the units in the extension, which also provided a larger two-storey shop for household goods retailer Cargo.

Mr Hardiman confirmed that USS had agreed terms for re-letting of the former Adams unit at the entrance to another retailer, not currently represented in the town.

The original development plans, which included the demolition of two units and building a two-storey extension to the centre, were given the go-ahead by the district council in 2007.

However, work was delayed because of technical wrangling over the amount of funding developers would be putting into Section 106 Agreement funds — a pot of money developers pay into to help fund public building projects.