Plans to revamp a shopping outlet will help to make the whole of Braintree a top destination for visitors, it is claimed.

Braintree Village manager Josef O’Sullivan says the planned overhaul of the centre forms part of a bigger commitment to get more people visiting the town.

The outlet is set to undergo a makeover in the coming months which will see new shop fronts installed, a new entrance built and car park expanded.

The changes put forward by owners Landsec will also see improvements made to the surrounding roads and the introduction of more top brands to help make the centre more attractive to shoppers.

Mr O’Sullivan, who has been centre manager at Braintree Village for five years, said: “It’s the overall look and feel – the environment that we want to improve. That incorporates everything like landscaping and shop fronts, the overall experience and brands on offer.

“It’s a destination outlet so people are making the decision to come here so when they do come here we want to make sure that experience is overwhelming so they want to come back and tell all their friends about it.

“We do like to make sure we include Braintree town in these plans. It’s very much in our culture to make sure we do that, we are not just a stand-alone business operating on the side.

“We want to bring people to Essex and most importantly, to Braintree. If we can get people to come here then we can shout about the town and vice versa. We want to work as a collaborative partnership so that we are driving people to this town.”

Work has already begun on the construction of a new entrance on the north side of the outlet, which was renamed last month to better reflect its geographical location and remove the name of the original owner, Freeport PLC.

Ralph Lauren is one of the newest brands which has moved to the outlet centre in recent months and will soon relocate to its new flagship unit in the centre which is nearing completion.

Mr O’Sullivan says more high-end brands are being lined up for Braintree Village to help draw in new visitors and he claims interest in opening a store at the outlet has never been better.

He added: “We are talking with a lot more brands who are interested in coming to us now. Having the top brands come to us like Ralph Lauren and Hugo has a knock-on effect because it means others come to us as well.

“There’s a lot of interest with the changes. In the past, because its been trading for 20 years there’s a general amount of complacency that sets in. That’s not to say the previous owners weren’t hunting brands but there is definitely a lot more coming to us rather than us going to them.

“It’s very exciting and encouraging for the future.”