First shops at new Â£35m retail park in Sheffield could open next June

Building work is due to be completed in the spring (St James Securities)

Aldi, TK Maxx and M&S Foodhall are among a host of big names which have signed up to open stores at St James Retail Park, on the old Norton College site off Bochum Parkway at Meadowhead.

Building work is on course to be completed in the spring, according to the developer St James Securities (SJS), after which tenants will move onto the site to fit out their premises.

TK Maxx and Wilko are among the big names due to open new stores at the shopping centre (St James Securities)

Dan Murray, construction designer at SJS, said he was pleased with how work was progressing and expected the first stores to open in June next year.

Roadworks to create an entrance off Bochum Parkway and modify Meadhowhead roundabout in preparation for the new complex are due to be completed next month, he added.

Major congestion around the site and on surrounding roads in recent weeks has been blamed on emergency gas works, which have now been completed.

Specsavers was this month confirmed as the latest retailer to take on a lease at the new centre, planning permission for which was granted in August last year.

Construction is on schedule, according to the developer (St James Securities)

It follows Next, M&S Foodhall, Aldi, TK Maxx, HomeSense, Wilko, Mountain Warehouse, Shoezone, Card Factory, Greggs and Costa.

The developer claims the scheme will create 250 full-time jobs, in addition to the 124 jobs created during construction.