A TOP fashion retailer is the latest name to come on board at Brewery Square as the next phase of the Dorchester development takes shape.

Phase Eight has signed up to take up a 1,600-square-foot unit overlooking the square’s fountains in the building which will also house the Odeon cinema, the Screen-on-the-Square building.

The main square is set to open in November and Phase Eight joins other firms such as Hobbs, Wagamama, Cafe Rouge, Zizzi, Pizza Express and Premier Inn by committing to the £100million scheme.

Work on phase 2A of the Brewery Square scheme by contractors Leadbitter Group is now nearing completion and will include 66 apartments, 16 shops, seven restaurants, the cinema, a hotel, close-care apartments and the main square itself complete with a multi-jet fountain.

So far 60 per cent of the commercial units have already been pre-let and nearly 90 per cent of the residential units have been pre-sold off plan.

The finished development will cover 11 acres of the former Eldridge Pope Brewery site and boast 40 shops, two hotels, a spa, cinema, arts centre and theatre, health centre, apartments and townhouses.

Andrew Wadsworth is director of Waterhouse, which is developing the site in partnership with real estate investment company Resolution Property.

He welcomed Phase Eight as the latest big name firm to join in the project.

Mr Wadsworth: “We are delighted to welcome Phase Eight, one of the UK’s market leading fashion brands, to Brewery Square.”

Chief operating officer at Phase Eight Lee Harlow said: “We are excited to be opening in one of the key buildings in Brewery Square, overlooking the fountains.

“It promises to be a great location for us.”

Mr Harlow added that he was looking forward to showing people in the county town what his store had to offer.

He said: “We are delighted to be opening this brand new Phase Eight store in Dorchester.

“Brewery Square promises to be an exciting new shopping development, offering us the perfect opportunity to be able to showcase the Phase Eight collection to the Dorchester customer.”