The transformation has begun: Hornsea Freeport undergoes significant redevelopment

SLR and Kames commence major scheme turnaround

Hornsea Freeport, the outlet shopping village on the east coast of Yorkshire, has begun a sensational redevelopment programme designed to bring back the good times.

New stores and facilities, places to eat, family attractions and an exciting indoor and outdoor adventure play area are all beginning to take shape. Building on fond memories of the former Hornsea Pottery, the transformation will revive the centre in Rolston Road, Hornsea, and once again make it a landmark leisure destination for people of all ages.The next generation of the pottery’s Butterfly House is now open at nature attraction Bugtopia, where visitors can step into a jungle paradise and immerse themselves in a tropical- style environment full of butterflies, birds and stick insects.

Work is progressing fast at Beach Cove, the new indoor and outdoor play experience that is right at the heart of the shopping and leisure village. With a planned grand opening in May, Beach Cove includes an exciting outdoor adventure playground featuring a zip wire, bouncing pillow, giant sand pit and electric car racing track. The indoor facility, previously known as Neptune’s Kingdom, has been fully refurbished and will benefit from a new café facility which will serve a selection of healthy, home baked snacks all enjoyed both indoors or on the terrace overlooking the outdoor play area. The Beach Cove development is being operated by Mark Farnsworth, owner of Hornsea Freeport’s William’s Farm Kitchen and Café and leading the team behind the hugely successful Grasshoppers Adventure Playground at Tong Garden Centre in Bradford. He said: “We’re very excited about the opening of the Beach Cove Adventure Playground and Café and are looking forward to welcoming lots of families back to this great outlet village. “The introduction of Grasshoppers as part of Tong Garden Centre has shown me how relevant a well run play area is to young families and we hope that Beach Cove will prove similarly popular.” Hornsea Freeport has also welcomed several new stores, including Suit Direct, The Craft Outlet and the return of Hallmark, and more big- name brands are lined up to open their doors in the coming months. Specialist asset manager SLR Outlets is working closely with Kames Capital, the owners of the centre, to drive the transformation of Hornsea Freeport.

Ian Sanderson owner of SLR said:

Hornsea Pottery, later named Hornsea Freeport, used to be a popular day out for all the family, with lots of attractions and activities, a butterfly house, adventure playground, cafés, great shops and entertainment. It created lasting memories for generations – and that is exactly what we’re bringing back to Hornsea Freeport, with a modern twist. “Kames Capital is making a significant investment in transforming Hornsea Freeport into an exciting leisure and retail destination for the region where, we hope, generations more will look back fondly at the good times they spent here.

Hornsea Freeport is ideally located just a few minutes from the resort seafront, with ample free parking, new facilities, accessible paths and places to eat and drink. It is also next to the Trans- Pennine Trail, making it a perfect base for walks and cycle rides. The centre brings together a wide range of factory outlet stores in a convenient, pleasant, landscaped setting. Brands include Clarks, the new Hallmark cards, Regatta, The Works, Tog 24, Cotton Traders, Craghoppers, Pavers, Thorntons and the new Sweet emporium, the largest sweet shop on the East coast. The indoor play centre is open now until Sunday 23rd April, after which it will close for further work until early May. The indoor and outdoor adventure play areas and café will then be in operation, with a grand opening event later in May. For updates, please see facebook.com/beachcovehornsea or visit www.hornseafreeport.com

Media contact:

Christine Jarvis, Bluestorm, 01482 649343 or christine.jarvis@bluestormdesign.co.uk

For more details about Hornsea Freeport, please visit www.hornseafreeport.com