Rayleigh and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, has just written to the Chief Executives of all major supermarkets chains, to inquire whether they might be interested in acquiring and redeveloping the former Co-op site, in Wickford, as a new store.
Mark explained in his letter that several years ago, the Co-op divested themselves of a supermarket in the centre of Wickford, in his constituency. A number of proposals by other companies to refurbish and re-open the store, have unfortunately fallen through, most recently when Morrisons withdrew from a scheme to redevelop the site, (including a seven-storey block of flats and an underground car park).
In his letter to the CEO’s, Mark summarised as follows:
“I am therefore writing to inquire whether you might be interested in taking on this store and bringing it back into use, ideally sooner rather than later? I would be happy to meet with you – or at least your senior planning team – to help explore this opportunity further.” Commenting after dispatching the letters, Mark Francois MP said: “Whilst it is great that the newly rebuilt and expanded Aldi supermarket – which I reopenedremains popular with my constituents in Wickford, there is still a need for a second supermarket for the town. I have therefore recently written to all of the major supermarkets Chief Executives (bar Aldi and the Co-op), to try and see if we can harness interest and bring forward some real progress to this whole saga, which has rumbled on for far too long.”
