Hours after having announced the latest in a series of new stores openings in Bath and Bristol, M&S has denied turning its back on city centre high streets.

In response to concerns that M&S is focusing too heavily on shopping centres and retail parks, chairman Archie Norman said there was “absolutely not a pro-out-of-town or anti-city-centre policy”, The Telegraph reported him as saying at the retail giant’s AGM on Tuesday (2 July).

M&S has also announced store openings in Ladymead Retail Park, Guildford, and in Gallagher Retail Park in Dundee.

However, Norman did admit: “We do have some older stores that are hard and costly to maintain and run so we have to look at that.”

Stuart Machin, the M&S chief executive, also said the company “could not afford to refurbish” some of these sites and would instead be investing in stores located near fast-growing communities. 

He added this meant looking for new locations in city centres, as well as out-of-town locations. 

The company announced on Tuesday plans for new flagship stores in Bath’s SouthGate shopping centre, and at the Cabot Circus shopping centre in Bristol, backed by £38 million worth of investment, M&S said.

M&S is still awaiting the outcome of a high court ruling over the future of one of its most well-known high street stores on London’s Oxford Street. The retailer wants to completely redevelop the site against conservation group and current government wishes.