Rayleigh and Wickford MP, Mark Francois, met with Senior Executives from property developers Herriot, in his Westminster office at the end of last week where they discussed Herriot’s future proposals for the old Co-op supermarket site, in Wickford Town Centre.
Mark wrote to Herriot and requested the meeting in early April, hard on the heels of the news that supermarket chain Morrisons had withdrawn from an original plan to build a new supermarket on the site, with a seven-storey block of flats and an underground car park.
In their update to Mark, Herriot explained that they are now working on a revised proposal, which would involve a three-storey set of flats, without an underground car park, but with additional residents parking, at the rear of the new store. The total proposed scheme is now around £30 million. Herriot also revealed that they are now in advanced talks, including a draft legal agreement, with a major national supermarket chain [Asda], to build the new store in Wickford. Subject to planning permission, it is hoped that work on the store could commence before the end of the year, with an opening date sometime in 2025.
Commenting after the positive meeting, Mark said:
“After all the delays at the former Co-op site, I well understand how frustrated my constituents have become that they do not have a major supermarket open on this site. It is good news that the new Aldi supermarket is open, but we now need more consumer choice and a second supermarket, on the Co-op site. I was therefore very heartened to learn from Herriot that they have been working hard behind the scenes and are now in advance talks with with a major national supermarket chain, on a revised scheme with fewer flats, but the roughly the same amount of retail floor space. Both Herriot and I hope to be in a position to say more about this project as soon as the commercial negotiations have been finally concluded."
