BRIGHTON and Hove has been named as the number one location in the country with the most potential for new out-of-town shops.

Estate agents Savills has produced a list of the top 10 places in the UK with the greatest opportunity for more outside shopping centres.

Retail director Matt McCue said: “Brighton is very under supplied with out-of-town retail space in comparison to similar catchments across the UK.

“The city, in fact, lacks a retail park of any substantial size. The largest existing scheme is Pavilion Retail Park on the Lewes Road.

“The resulting strong latent demand for a shopping park destination presents a real opportunity for developers and retailers alike.”

The report said that Brighton has the potential to increase its out-of-town shops by a staggering 333 per cent.

Hastings also gets a mention, coming seventh in the top 10 list.

Gavin Stewart, executive director of the Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said: “In the City Plan Part One, the city council has stated its policy of a hierarchy of development, favouring the Brighton Regional Shopping Centre as the focus for future significant retail development.

“The Economic Partnership fully endorsed this plan as much of the future success of the city, including its secondary and tertiary shopping areas, relies on direct footfall.

“What’s most pressing is finding locations to build the much-needed 13,200 new homes that the city will need by 2030.

“Much of those outlying areas may be better suited to that rather than retail parks.”