Another big name has confirmed for the Port retail park.

High street chemist giant Boots is the latest big name to be confirmed for the Port Glasgow Retail Park, the Tele can today reveal.

The health and beauty retailer will take up the new outlet beside the Marks and Spencer and Next stores which are both currently under construction at the site, pictured.

It’s expected that the new Boots store will create around 30 jobs.

Bosses today remained tight-lipped about exactly how many positions will be advertised and when the store would open.

But the company has reassured staff and shoppers that there are no plans to close its Oak Mall shop.

There were fears that the company could follow M&S in switching its local operations to the retail park.

But a Boots spokeswoman said: “There are still no plans at all to close the Greenock branch.”

The news that Boots is opening a new unit in Port Glasgow brings a fresh jobs boost to the Inverclyde economy at the beginning of the new year.

Port Glasgow’s £40m retail park has created 1,000 jobs according to developers, between construction and new retail posts.

The latest extension of the Clydebuilt shopping park saw TK Maxx and B&M open large units recently.

Joining them at the former Scott Lithgow and East Glen shipyards site are supermarket chain Aldi and department store Watt Brothers, with high street fashion retailers Next, M&S and bargain shop Poundworld poised to join them this summer.

DIY giants B&Q, Costa Coffee and Marston’s family pub and restaurant The Waterwheel are already there having opened two years ago. 

M&S has leased 40,000 sq ft for a department store in the next phase of the development along with Next, who have signed up for a 24,500 sq ft unit.

Construction is already under way and the stores could open as early as spring.