A MAJOR redevelopment of a former BHS site has been given the green light in the city centre.

A nine screen cinema, restaurants and retail space is set to be created on the site of the former high street store in the St Enoch Centre.

Centre owners Blackstone secured planning permission from Glasgow City Council to develop on the 90,000sq ft space at the east end of the mall.

The space has been lying empty since BHS vacated earlier this year as part of a nationwide closure of its stores. The retailer’s other main Glasgow store on Sauchiehall Street closed in August along with 160 shops in the UK.

Around 11,000 staff were made redundant in total.

Developers say they are now in the advanced stages of negotiation with a range of retailers, restaurateurs and a well-known cinema chain to open up at the site, creating jobs and investment in the area.

They hope it will provide a further boost to the popular mall, which is already home to dozens of chain and independent shops.

Jon Lurie, Managing Director at Blackstone said: “We are delighted to have secured this major planning consent for the regeneration of the east end of St Enoch.

“This consent represents a critical milestone in our strategy of upgrading St Enoch’s to create an attractive destination for Glaswegians to shop, dine, and spend time with friends and family.”

Paul Bailey, director of Sovereign Centros, which is Blackstone’s operating partner, said: “The provision of a complete leisure destination, all under one roof with adjacent car parking, will be unique for Glasgow City Centre and will further boost St Enoch’s rapidly enhancing reputation.

“We are very well advanced in discussions with an international cinema brand as well as numerous household restaurants.”