HIGH street giants Boots today gave a reassurance that there are ‘no plans’ to close their Greenock shop as they prepare to open a major new store in Port Glasgow.

It was officially announced yesterday that their new premises in the Port retail park will open this autumn.

This sparked fresh concern about the future of the Boots store in the Oak Mall.

But bosses have reiterated that there are ‘no plans’ to close those premises.

A spokesman at Boots said: “We are not in a position to comment right now on the opening of our new store in Port Glasgow.

“But there are no plans to close within the Oak Mall.”

The new Port Glasgow shop will be located alongside Marks and Spencer and Next at the £40m Clydebuilt Shopping Park.

Alastair Dickie, director at retail park developer Ediston Real Estate, says Boots is a great addition to the second phase of the shopping park.

He said: “Boots’ decision to come to the park is a fantastic boost and testament to the quality of the development, which is one of the first major new retail parks to have been developed in Scotland since 2008.

“Not so long ago this site was a completely derelict dockyard – we have managed to create a successful retail park which the Inverclyde area has desired for many years.  

“The vision of Inverclyde Council as well as the strategic investment secured from Strathclyde Pension Fund has helped us to create one of the best examples of mixed use regeneration in Scotland, creating a significant number of jobs.

Boots has secured the unit on a 15 year lease.

The retail park is one of the final pieces of the jigsaw in the overall regeneration of the Port Glasgow waterfront and town centre.

Developers say the park, along with the adjoining Tesco Extra and Marston’s family pub, will have helped create approximately 1,000 jobs for the Inverclyde area.