THE latest tenant at a new multi-million pound retail park in Johnstone will open its doors this weekend – bringing up to 40 new jobs to town.

Home Bargains will welcome the first customers to its £800,000 store at the Paton’s Mill retail park on Saturday.

It follows hot on the heels of coffee giant Starbucks, which opened a drive-thru at the site last month.

READ MORE: Jobs boost as Aldi, Starbucks and Home Bargains move into town

And the third piece in the Paton’s Mill jigsaw will be completed on Thursday, December 6, as discount retailer Aldi opens an outlet.

In total, it is estimated the retail park will have created more than 75 new jobs at the historic mill site, which had lain derelict for years.

Paton’s Mill was among Renfrewshire’s largest employers, with many local people working at the huge textiles plant on the banks of the Black Cart River.

Built in 1782 by the Corse and Burns Company, production at the famous bootlace factory ended in 2004 when Paton’s moved its operation to a nearby business park.

The site then became a frequent target for vandals, ultimately resulting in a devastating fire in 2013 which led to it being delisted by Historic Scotland.

Only the porter’s lodge, close to the front entrance gates, and the generator house, within a wooded area, remain at the site, with every other building demolished last year.

That paved the way for the new development, although some traders have expressed concerns that the retail park could have a negative impact on town centre businesses.

The new Home Bargains store will become the firm’s first franchise in Renfrewshire, joining 500 others across the UK.

READ MORE: Johnstone’s new retail park is open for business

Shoppers will be able to grab a bargain from 8am on Saturday.

Joe Morris, operations director at Home Bargains, told The Gazette: “We’re thrilled to be launching our first store in Johnstone and look forward to welcoming customers through the doors.

“Paton’s Mill will be a great location for us and we’re proud to be able to offer local people top-branded goods at exceptionally-low prices.”