New Sheffield IKEA store set to open to public
Hundreds are expected to visit IKEA new Sheffield store later - as it opens to the public for the first time.
It's the day many in Sheffield have been waiting for, as the city's brand new IKEA store opens its doors to customers for the first time.
The shop, which is near Meadowhall in Catcliffe, is 35,000 square metres in size and has created 480 jobs, 90% of which have been filled by people in our county.
It means shoppers won't have to travel to Leeds or Nottingham to get to an IKEA.
There have been worries about the traffic the Swedish furniture giant will attract though - the council say there'll be the kind of levels we usually see in the run up to Christmas over the next few days as people visit the shop on its opening weekend.
They're expecting 900 more vehicles every hour in the Lower Don Valley.
Councillor Jack Scott's encouraging people to use public transport to get there:
“I’m delighted that IKEA is here and know that its store will be a big success. The store has excellent tram links with a Supertram station just yards away.
“The store has encouraged people to use public transport wherever possible. The store also backs on to the Sheffield to Tinsley Canal and can be accessed by cycle or on foot. I want people to look at these options but, if they have to drive, to allow plenty of time to do so and to follow updates from Highways England or radio traffic announcements."
The shop opens to the public at 10am today.