JEWELLERY chain Fraser Hart has agreed a 15-year lease for a shop at the new Fremlin Walk shopping centre due to open in March 2005.

The new store will be located at the Week Street entrance to the £100 million scheme, where construction work is about to start.

Fraser Hart is the 29th business to sign up for space in the 350,000 sq ft centre, which will be anchored by a new 100,000 sq ft two-level House of Fraser department store.

Clive Hill of Fraser Hart said: "Although we already have two units in the Kent area the Fremlin Walk development makes it imperative that we also had representation in Maidstone.

"The scheme is going to change shopping patterns throughout this part of the UK and we certainly wanted to be a part of it."