WESTBURY’S former Co-operative Food store on Kingfisher Drive will not be replaced by new housing, but new owners Lidl has hinted it could demolish the building to make way for a brand new supermarket.
White Horse News and Westbury Town Council contacted the German supermarket chain, which took over the store last year, in response to rumours spread on Facebook that houses would be built on the land.
The company has confirmed it intends to open a supermarket there next year and that it will apply for planning consent soon. A statement said there will be ‘construction proposals’ suggesting the Co-op building will be either demolished or extended.
The company said in a statement, “We are currently in the process of compiling our planning application, which will outline our plans for a new Lidl store, including construction proposals. We hope to submit the planning application in the coming months with a view to opening the store in 2018. We will endeavour to share further details in due course.”
Town clerk Deborah Urch told White Horse News, “There were rumours online that the supermarket was going to be sold to a housing developer,” “I spoke with Lidl and the company said it was going ahead with developing its supermarket scheme there. It’s certainly not going to be houses.
“I did have an element of concern because people are expecting a supermarket to be reprovided there.”
Lidl is expected to wait until the Post Office’s contract ends in October before starting work.
