MANAGERS at an Oxford shopping centre say the new Westgate Centre is actually boosting retail trade rather than stealing it.

The Clarendon Centre has 30 stores, including a three-storey unit for fashion giant H&M, plus

Zara, Gap, French Connection, Ann Summers and The Body Shop.

Last month the centre, which has entrances in Cornmarket Street and Queen Street, was given a boost when Swedish chain H&M revealed there were no plans to close its three-storey branch after opening a new, smaller store at the Westgate Centre.

Now Clarendon Centre manager Ginny Fellows has welcomed the opening of the £440m Westgate Centre on October 24.

And she said the recent footfall figures for Cornmarket, showing a 13 per cent increase year on year between December 4 and December 10, showed Westgate opening was 'positive' for the Clarendon Centre.

She said: "We believe the opening of Westgate is very positive for Oxford.

"The additional footfall it generates is great for city centre retailers.

"Oxford is such a uniquely beautiful and historic city, its wealth of charms is strong enough to encourage shoppers to extend their visit beyond one location; and that’s what we’re finding.

"The documented increase in footfall on Cornmarket Street is clearly a benefit to the Clarendon Centre, as it is where one of our main entrances is located."

The centre is managed by Lothbury Investment Management Limited, an independent investment manager of property unit trusts.

H&M opened its new store at the Clarendon Centre in 2014, which completed a £6m revamp of the shopping centre.

The facelift involved demolition of the existing ground floor to make way for the new three-storey design.

An overhaul of empty retail space resulted in a 10 per cent increase in the size of the mall.

Architects Marchini Curran Associates were behind the designs of the new-look shopping centre.

The shopping centre was located in an Archaeological Priority Zone, and the redevelopment unearthed centuries of history.

Before building work began, archaeologists discovered stone walls, foundations and cesspits thought to date back to buildings from the 17th century and the public were able to watch excavation work.

Other stores at the Clarendon Centre include Currys PC World, EE, Krispy Kreme, Goldsmiths and H Samuel.

Graham Jones, of ROX - Promoting Oxford Business - said increased footfall in the Cornmarket Street should boost footfall in the Clarendon Centre.

Traders expressed concerns that units left empty following the move of River Island and Next to the Westgate Centre, could put shoppers off.

But the latest footfall figures, taken in Cornmarket between December 4 and December 10, showed a significant increase, with 86,000 more shoppers than last year.