A COUNCILLOR has expressed his joy on hearing that a Carlisle-based clothing retailer is set to open on the high street.

Peter Sunter, Carlisle City Councillor for the Cathedral and Castle ward, said he was pleased to hear that there would be one less empty window on the high street as the Edinburgh Woollen Mill looks set to open a new shop.

Edinburgh Woollen Mill, along with Ponden Home - a homeware supplier - will be moving in to the premises that used to house Bright House and, before that, Mark One on Scotch Street, Carlisle.

Cllr Peter Sunter said: "

[With] the number of shops that we see closing and that have closed, it is really good news to hear that this one is opening.

"I think it is a positive move that we are getting another shop opening, especially in time for Christmas. Hopefully they will get some trade done and be able to stay the course.

"I can't say that I'm hugely optimistic about what is going on in the city centre in terms of the number of shops that are closing.

"It's much nicer to see a shop opening than it is to see a blank [space] as you are walking by. It also gives more choice for the shoppers in the area."

It is not clear when exactly the new shop will be open, but work is currently taking place on the interior of the building.

The Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, which came close to folding during the pandemic, was bought out of administration and saved by Purepay Retail back in January this year.

Ponden Home and Bonmarche are also part of the retail group.

The Edinburgh Woollen Mill was founded back in 1946 as a dyeing company called the Langholm Dyeing and Finishing Company.

Its development into retail took place 24 years later when the Group opened its first shop in Randolph Place, Edinburgh.

Carlisle was the first location south of the border that the clothing retailer opened a shop.

Currently, there are Edinburgh Woollen Mill shops all over the country - with three of them at locations in Cumbria, including Bowness-on-Windermere, Ambleside and Kendal.