The 250,000 sq ft retail and leisure development is one of the first starts on site by the McLaren Property division which was officially launched earlier this year.

McLaren Property is working in a joint venture with Life Property on the project which has a development value of £35m and will take two years to build.

Work on a new hotel and car park is due for completion in June 2012 before the demolition of the 1960s Dolphin Square shopping centre.

It will be replaced with a new build development with 140,000 sq. ft. of retail units ranging from 5,500 sq. ft. to 60,000 sq. ft. which is scheduled to open in May 2013.

The scheme includes an eight screen Vue Cinema, a 20 lane indoor bowling centre operated by First Bowl and an Anytime Fitness Club.

Restaurants including Nandos, Prezzo and Harvester have taken space in the development, and Premier Inns have signed up to operate the 116 bed hotel which fronts the Weston seafront.

Phil Pringle, Managing Director, McLaren Construction Group said: “We are delighted to be working on another mixed use project in a major town centre and tourist destination.

“Working alongside our property division, McLaren Property, demonstrates the synergy between the construction and property divisions within the Group as well as underlining our continued strategy for growth into new market sectors.”

Consultants for the project include Mountford Pigott, Architects, Ward Cole, Consulting Engineer and the Roger Wenn Partnership, Project Managers.