FASHION chain the Arcadia Group – which has seven of its brands at Bournemouth’s Castlepoint – has avoided administration after landlords agreed to throw it a lifeline.

The deal saves thousands of jobs but the company will have to overcome more hurdles.

Sir Philip Green’s retail empire – which includes Topshop, Burton and Miss Selfridge – won support for a series of company voluntary arrangements (CVA).

Around 1,000 jobs are at risk from the closure of 23 stores as part of the agreement, while another 25 will be shut under a wider restructuring.

Arcadia’s chief executive Ian Grabiner said: “After many months of engaging with all our key stakeholders, taking on board their feedback, and sharing our turnaround plans, the future of Arcadia, our thousands of colleagues, and our extensive supplier base is now on a much firmer footing.

“From today, with the right structure in place to reduce our cost base and create a stable financial platform for the group, we can execute our business turnaround plan to drive growth through our digital and wholesale channels, while ensuring our store portfolio remains at the heart of our customer offer.

“I am confident about the future of Arcadia and our ability to provide our customers with the very best multi-channel experience, deliver the fashion trends that they demand, and ultimately inspire a renewed loyalty to our brands that will support the long-term growth of our business.”

But some landlords were reported to have voted against the agreements.

Speaking after the meeting but before the result, Oliver Buhus from supplier Paragon Clothing said landlords had been “ruthless and self-serving”.

“There’s no sense of taking an initiative to act collectively, it’s each landlord for himself,” he said.

The proposals, which were launched last month, involve the closure of 23 stores in the UK and Ireland.

Another 11 Topshop and Topman stores in the US were earmarked for closure, while an additional 25 Miss Selfridge and Evans stores were also slated to be axed.

Castlepoint has the Arcadia brands Burton, Dorothy Perkins, Evans, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Topshop and Wallis.

Bournemouth has a Topman and Topshop store, as well as a Dorothy Perkins concession inside Debenhams, and Wallis in Debenhams and Beales.

Poole has Burton, Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge all as concessions inside Beales.