Thornfield appoints David Laycock as centre director for The Rock

Date published: 21 October 2009

Thornfield Properties has appointed David Laycock as Centre Director for its 1.6 million sq ft mixed use scheme, The Rock, the UK’s newest shopping, leisure and living destination in Bury, Greater Manchester, due to open next summer, 2010.

Mr Laycock won the position with his proven track record in successfully creating and launching dynamic centres. From November 2006 to present he launched St Stephen’s shopping centre in Kingston upon Hull, from development to opening, and successfully integrated the scheme into the local community. The scheme went on to win awards and increased the number of visitors into the city.

He takes his new role at The Rock in Bury, with only ten months to go before the scheme opens in July 2010. He will be involved in all aspects of integrating the new scheme into the local community, delivering the aim of lifting Bury to 62nd or higher in CACI’s top UK retail town rankings, to overseeing brand development and customer profiling.

His passion to deliver and practical experience has been gained with 24 years of varied retail experience: prior to St Stephen’s in Kingston upon Hull, Mr Laycock launched a new concept shopping centre in Liverpool, the Metquarter and before that he was instrumental in developing the footwear brand ‘moda in pelle’ from its Yorkshire base to national profile. Prior to that he showed his entrepreneurial side opening a mini nursery and children’s department store in Harrogate called Baby D. He initially received his management and retail training in C&A and then John Lewis, where he worked for six years gaining experience in most selling departments as well as administration and selling support functions.

Andrew Sanderson, director of Thornfield, says: ‘We are delighted to appoint David Laycock as Centre Director for The Rock. We believe he has the proven experience to be able to take The Rock through the final development stages to launch and has all the skills needed to embrace the challenge of developing and leading a team to make The Rock the most exciting scheme in the UK and the core of the Bury community.’

David Laycock says: ‘I relish the opportunity of launching The Rock to make Bury the premier retail town in the north of Greater Manchester and to broaden the town’s appeal by sympathetically integrating the new with the established gems, such as Bury market. I aim to establish The Rock as the core entertainment, retail and residential heart of the region and bring the community closer together through focused events and retaining local shoppers while attracting new visitors to the town.’

Mr Laycock further distinguishes himself with a passion for partnership working, which will be a huge advantage to the town of Bury. While at Kingston upon Hull, he won the Prince’s Trust ‘Partnership Innovation Award’ setting up a ‘Get Into Retail’ programme for the town. ‘I intend to bring my passion for working in partnership with local stakeholders for the overall benefit of the community to my new role at The Rock in Bury,’ he says.

The Rock is set to change the face of Bury with two new department stores, Debenhams and Marks & Spencer, a further 60 new shop units, including Primark, River Island and Next, 8 restaurants including Pizza Express and a 10-screen Vue Cinema and 24-lane AMF Bowling and Entertainment centre. A new garden square is being created, St John’s Square and the main retail street, The Rock, has been designed to link to the existing Market Place and provide a natural thoroughfare from The Rock to the famous and award-winning Bury Market.

A large 1,250 space car park is also being provided.