Marks & Spencer says it is still planning to set up shop in Witney, despite store closures and redundancies throughout the country.

The new store, on two floors, will remain a key part of the £50m Marriotts Close redevelopment, which is on track to open in September.

Simons Developments is pressing ahead with the town centre scheme – one of only three major retail projects under way across the country as the recession sets in.

Spokesman Alex Blakelock said: “The current circumstances at M&S in no way relate to our arrangement for the store opening at Marriotts Close. They remain fully committed to the town.”

The retail giant announced last week it was closing 27 outlets and making more than 1,200 staff redundant in the light of falling sales.

Most of those are Simply Food outlets, although two main stores are also for the axe.

A short statement from the company’s head office in London said: “We are indeed still coming to Witney, despite the announcements about other stores.

“Witney is not affected and we are still planning for opening in September.”

Rumours began to circulate among traders in the town last week that other operators as well as M&S who had signed up to the Marriotts Close development might pull out.

But chamber of trade chairman Lesley Semaine, who runs the Royal Oak pub in High Street, said: “I have frequently had bosses from Simons coming in here for lunch and there has been no indication from them that anyone is pulling out.

“Witney is attractive, particularly to someone like M&S.

“Where else could they have a store right next to a multi-storey car park which is free?”

High stree names signed up as commercial tenants inlude Debenhams, Wallis, Monsoon/Accessorize, Starbucks, Frankie and Bennys, Cafe Rouge, New Look, Dorothy Perkins and a Cineworld multiscreen cinema.

Bill Oddy, West Oxfordshire District Council’s head of community services, said there would be a total of 569 free public parking spaces.

And council leader Barry Norton says free public parking remains a policy of the ruling Conservative group.

The council still owns the freehold of the land on which the Marriotts Close development is built.

witney@oxfordmail.co.uk