A NEW shop is coming to fill the former BHS site in Clydebank for the first time in two years – TJ Hughes.

The Post can reveal the department store has signed up to take over the 50,000sqft unit in Clyde Shopping Centre and is likely to bring up to 50 full-time jobs.

TJ Hughes will be one of their “anchor stores” and is expected to open in late autumn.

Centre owners Edinburgh House Estates said “it’s good to have some good news to shout about”.

A spokesman for TJ Hughes said “We are delighted to have secured another store for our growing estate and really look forward to welcoming our new customers in Clydebank.”

Clydebank’s MSP Gil Paterson said: “It is good to see new businesses setting up in the shopping centre although I would prefer to see expansion rather than replacement.”

Clyde Shopping Centre has been affected as national retailers struggle with shoppers turn online to shop.

Elsewhere, clothing firm Evans is expected to close in five weeks while Black & Lizars closes on Saturday, though it will be replaced by another optometrist.

Games Centre closed in May and Poundworld is in administration threatening jobs at the Clydebank outlet, which currently has a sign up saying it is to close this weekend.

Nearby, Lidl has confirmed it will leave its current Clydebank location and is looking for a larger space while Furniture Mountain closed at Christmas.

But in the past year, Nando’s, Matzaluna and Ollybear designer kids clothing shop have opened at the shopping centre complex.

The food unit next to Nando’s is under offer and Edinburgh House said the new tenant would be revealed in the coming weeks.

Ross Campbell, Edinburgh House Estates senior asset manager, said there were “really good positives” to the centre.

He said: “We’re delivering what shoppers want. We do a lot of research of what our shoppers want and TJ Hughes is what people would like to see.”

A spokesman for Black & Lizars said: “We have taken the decision to close the Clydebank practice on July 14 as our lease for the property is coming to an end, and the size of the existing shop did not match the criteria we required for our continued clinical development in audiology as well as optometry.”

“We offered all four staff within the practice the opportunity for redeployment to any of the 10 practices we continue to operate in Glasgow and the surrounding area.

“Our existing contact lens patients are in the process of being transferred to our nearby Anniesland Practice (1574 Great Western Road) and all other patients will be transferred to Currie and Quirk Opticians who will be taking over the existing premises.

“We have every confidence that patients will continue to receive an excellent level of eyecare from Currie and Quirk.”

Retailer Evans did not reply to a request for comment.