YOU heard it here first! Primark is moving to the old BHS store on Broad Street – but possibly not until next year.

In a report published in the Chronicle Midweek on January 21, we revealed exclusively that the West Street department store was hotly tipped to take up the old BHS site on Broad Street, which had closed that month.

Speculation that either Next or Primark would take over the site, owned by the Arcadia Group, had been circulating among key business players in the town for months.

But this week a highly-placed industry source said the move has been on the cards since last summer.

The source confirmed that staff were told they would be moving to another site as early as last August, but no one was sure where.

“But then BHS closed down and I think management just sort of jumped at the chance really,” she said.

“It's a better location because it's so close to The Oracle.”

Shoppers have also reported that staff have been telling them for weeks that the shop would be moving to Broad Street in due course. It is rumoured that Primark will not be moving until next year, and construction workers have been busy behind the blacked-out windows for weeks.

Arcadia sold the BHS premises for an undisclosed amount.

Primark owns the West Street premises, which altogether covers 160,000 sq ft and includes the company's national head office. The former BHS site measures a total of 72,000 sq ft, of which 41,000 sq feet is trading space.

Primark has declined to comment.