Economic gloom is shrugged off as CSC looks to transform Lakeside.

Capital Shopping Centres has looked to the long-term with plans to make the Lakeside shopping centre the country’s third largest with 40 more stores in a £180m expansion.

CSC wants to add 325,000sqft of retail space increasing Lakeside to 1.725m sqft, putting it ahead of Bluewater, Trafford Centre and Westfield London but still behind Westfield Stratford Centre and the Metrocentre.

If Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Council approves the planning application, construction will start in 2013 and be completed by 2016.

‘Lakeside, which celebrated its 21st anniversary this year, continues to be high on retailers' wishlists and the planned extension enables us to accommodate bigger and better stores for many more retailers too,’ says Jonathan Ainsley, CSC director of asset management. ‘We aim to continually evolve and invest in our centres to ensure we are offering the best experience for our shoppers as we can.’

The planning application also includes a new bus station and proposals to improve access by road. CSC claims the development will create 1,000 new construction jobs and 2,600 retail roles when the extension opens.

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