MORE than 100 jobs will be created if an entrepreneur gets the green light to open an indoor shopping village in Hampshire.

Adrian Williams is behind the scheme to transform a former food processing and packaging warehouse into what he has dubbed the Boutique Village.

His ambitious plans for the site in Oriana Way at Nursling also include a “classic vintage tea room” and a children’s play area.

Daily Echo:

The Meridians House warehouse, pictured, would be transformed

The project will provide 40,000 square metres of space for independent traders and new start-ups all under one roof.

Advice team Mr Williams said a team of experts would be on hand to give advice to businessmen and woman on getting their ventures up and running. This would include website designs, information on start-up cost and where to get funding from.

He revealed that the scheme would create “well over” 100 job opportunities and pledged personally to employ up to 30 people including office staff, security guards, cleaners and floor staff.

Mr Williams said: “This is a scheme which will utilise a warehouse space and create a platform for new businesses and small businesses to emerge and grow, enabling them to step up to the High Street once established and start filling those empty shops.

“The Boutique Village would provide low cost rents which would be inclusive with extremely easy lease terms, even allowing businesses to trial an idea or product for a week or two to feel the market, which is something that at the moment does not exist.

“This in essence will create a fantastic trading space full of local independent businesses with a great selection of goods for shoppers to enjoy.

“We would have workshops and function rooms available for demonstrations and classes, from sewing and cake decorating to do-it-yourself and cycle maintenance. At weekends we would have young people’s junior workshops and classes, specially designed courses to teach them how to set up and start running their own businesses, and with adult supervision allowing them to trial a business idea.”

He also plans to get schools and colleges involved by rolling out a young enterprise scheme which would involve providing space at Boutique Village for one school and one college each year rent free.

He added: “This will be a chance for each individual school and college to trial ideas that their students might have at no cost to the school. This will be a great way for the school and college to raise extra funds whilst giving the children a sense of worth of having their ideas listened to and put into action.

“We will invite schools and colleges to apply for this unique chance by submitting a letter highlighting their ideas and telling us why they think they should be chosen.”

Mr Williams, 45, from Bournemouth, who previously worked in the construction industry, and his wife Emma have applied to Test Valley planners for change of use planning permission for the building from general storage, storage and distribution to retail, restaurant and cafe.

He had originally planned to set up Boutique Village on the Brazier Industrial Estate at Millbrook in Southampton but the owner of the land Kier decided to sell it for redevelopment rather than lease it out.

However Mr Williams is more than happy with the new site, next to B&Q.

He said: “The building ticks all the boxes and the site has enough parking for 100 cars with great access in and out’”