A date has been set for the opening of a new discount homewares store in Reading which is expected to create scores of jobs for the town.

Home Bargains will open its latest outlet at Brunel Retail Park on Saturday, September 16.

The brand, which already has a branch in Reading, has more than 500 stores nationwide.

The new store opening comes as part of a major redevelopment of the retail park in Rose Kiln Lane.

After a number of shops closed in recent years, including Next, Shoezone  and Go Outdoors, plans were submitted to the council to knock down part of the site to make way for a lorry park.

It was decided that part of the retail park would remain with existing units merged together to create more retail space. Home Bargains will occupy the former home of Go Outdoors and SCS sofa carpet specialists.

The company is currently advertising for a number of jobs, including team leader roles and team members for the new store’s garden centre and café on their website.

READ MORE: B&M set to expand as part of huge retail park transformation

Earlier this year, the company submitted a licensing application to sell alcohol 24 hours a day to Reading Borough Council’s licensing department.

These hours were later reduced to 7am to 11pm each day.

Following that adjustment, the alcohol sales licence was granted by the council.

It is unclear whether the store itself will be open as late as 11pm each night, as the latest existing Home Bargains stores are open until is 10pm according to its store locator webpage.

The page shows that the majority of locations close at either 8pm or 9pm instead.

MCTGF, the owning company of Brunel Retail Park won approval to provide larger premises for Home Bargains in July last year.

Its plan involved the amalgamation of units 4 and 5 of the retail park to provide more space for Home Bargains, which provide it with 4,546 square metres of floor space, with 840 square metres being reserved for food and drink sales.

Unit 4 used to be occupied by Go Outdoors, which closed in February 2022, with unit 5 being occupied by SCS sofa carpet specialists, which was gone by 2020.

There is already a Home Bargains in Reading located not far away in the Reading Link Retail Park.

Elsewhere in Brunel Retail Park , B&M is preparing to open in the unit previously occupied by Next.