Work starts on £3.5m Waitrose development

A £3.5m retail development – including a new Waitrose store – has started in Bromsgrove.

Commercial property developer, Hinton Group, has begun work on phase one of the scheme, which will transform the former Market Hall site in the town centre.

As well as creating 60 new jobs, the development is expected to act as a catalyst for further investment in the town.
 
Contractor PDR Construction has begun the demolition of existing buildings, including George House, which housed the former Blockbuster store.

Bromsgrove District Council completed the deal to sell the land to the Hinton Group earlier this year. Phase one of the development includes the 9,000 sq ft food store and 86 car parking spaces. The developers will also make improvements to the Spadesbourne Brook, including the water course and water vole habitats, as well as the planting of trees, both on and off site in Sanders Park.

The new Waitrose store is expected to open for trading in spring next year.

A planning application has been submitted for phase two, which will include a further 14,500 sq ft of retail space.

Jon Hinton, development director, Hinton Group, said that as the firm was based in Bromsgrove then the scheme took on added significance for the business.

“We are very proud to be playing our part in delivering a key element of the regeneration of our town centre, and we are committed to achieving similar success with the remainder of the site,” he said.
 
“We have been working hard behind the scenes to ensure Bromsgrove gets the best result possible on this site. I’m confident that the new Waitrose store will be welcomed by residents and visitors to Bromsgrove and will provide an impressive new facility.”
 
Mr Hinton was joined by Bromsgrove Cllrs Karen May and Margaret Buxton, together with Daren Humphrey, of Waitrose, for a ceremony to mark the start of the building project.

Waitrose development surveyor, Mr Humphrey, said: “We hope local residents will share our excitement after reaching a key milestone in achieving our ambition to open in Bromsgrove and delivering what will be only our fifth store in the county.
 
“The Market Hall site provides us with a town centre location that we can be confident of trading from for many years to come and we cannot wait to welcome our new customers when we open next spring.”