A SECOND chain store is opening its doors in Okehampton within eight months making use of a building which has not been fully occupied for 15 years.

Okehampton Chamber of Trade chairman Ian Bailey said Peacocks store, which is opening in August, will take out an 'eyesore' of a boarded up empty shop in Fore Street and help boost the economy of town.

The building, which used to be the old Gateway store, is currently undergoing a six-month refurbishment ready for the clothing, footwear and home retailer which has 290 stores nationwide.

Peacocks follows hot on the heels of Waitrose which opened its flagship South West store in Okehampton in March.

The store will create more than ten permanent jobs for the area with the majority of staff recruited locally.

Known for its low-cost clothing for the whole family, the chamber chairman said Peacocks was a good plus for the fact that families would be able to buy these type of goods in Okehampton.

'Rather than going into the big cities like Exeter shoppers will be able to get what they want here — this is new merchandise for Okehampton — Peacocks will not be standing on any existing traders toes,' he said.

'One of the biggest pluses is that it will take out an eyesore of a boarded up empty shop smack in the middle of town — a new refurbished shop will look very good for Okehampton's Fore Street.'

Talks between Peacocks and the chamber began in January and confirmation came a few months later that the firm would definitely be coming to town.

Mr Bailey said the new retailer would mean there was virtually full occupancy on shops.

'I think we have reason to be optimistic in the town,' he said. 'There is a good chance of boom times in the future.

'It is just unfortunate that the roadworks came right at the time when Waitrose opened so we have not been able to see any benefit.'

He added that as a soon as the roadworks were finished the chamber would be doing all it could to encourage shoppers back into the town.

The Okehampton store will be Peacock's 12th shop in Devon and will provide 4,500 sq ft of retail space on a single level store layout.

A spokesperson for the company said Okehampton was the type of town where Peacocks was traditionally very successful and the new opening was part of a group investment programme of £12.1-million to open 40 new stores by the end of the year.