A huge retail gap in Maidenhead’s High Street looks set to be filled in the new year.

National chain Wilkinson is poised to set up shop in the former Woolworths site. The news was first hinted at in July when the company submitted a planning application to the Royal Borough for permission to put up signs on the store.

On Tuesday company spokesman Dave Jones confirmed the shop would open in the High Street towards the end of January.

He said the shop could not be opened before Christmas as a massive refit of the unit was required. 
“We try and regenerate town centre and High Streets,” he said. The retailer, which already has branches in Slough and High Wycombe, sells a wide variety of household goods such as toiletries, tools and food.

There are currently 30 empty units in the town centre, 25 of which are available for let. This is a marked drop compared to the 42 empty units in May.