BUILDING work has officially begun on Evesham’s long-awaited Waitrose store.
Representatives from the retail giant were on hand together with Wychavon District Council chiefs and Midas Retail Limited to oversee the start of the development.
Waitrose bosses hope the £10million store will be open by March next year with the creation of 150 jobs. The 28,145 is being built by Midas Retail Limited for Wychavon District Council, with Waitrose as the tenant.
Wychavon is funding the building of the store, on the old Evesham Fire Station site, which the supermarket chain will then lease back from the council and pay a rent.
Vic Allison, deputy managing director at Wychavon District Council, said: “We’re delighted to appoint Midas to construct this important store for us.
“We’ve already seen the benefits that having a Waitrose store in town brings from the impact of the Droitwich scheme, so we’re confident Evesham will benefit in a similar way.”
Jonathan Banham, Waitrose development surveyor, said: “This is another significant milestone in achieving our long-held aspiration to open a store in Evesham.
“While we appreciate there will be a period of disruption with a project of this scale, we’re looking forward to delivering a quality food store that will provide our very latest offers. We also want to make a positive contribution to the town’s future.”
David Rowe, retail director at Midas Retail Limited, added: “We’re delighted to be starting work on this important project in Evesham for Wychavon District Council. It’s also great to be working with Waitrose again on another exciting new store.”
The Old Brewery Car Park has closed for work to take place and the public footpath that runs between Bewdley Street and Merstow Green will remain closed until the store opens.
