It’s official — Tesco is coming to the West Wight as plans to take over the Southern Co-operative’s largest store are submitted to install the supermarket giant’s signs on the building.
The store on Afton Road, Freshwater, and the biggest in the area, is still in the hands of The Co-operative, but will close later this year.
Store to become a Tesco
In a statement released in June on its social media, the Co-op said plans were in progress to transfer the store to Tesco, and will instead focus on its convenience store estates, including the shop on Avenue Road, Freshwater.
The Southern Co-op reassured customers they would still be served, but by a different provider, with the sale expected to be completed in autumn 2021.
Plans lodged with IWC
At the time, the sale remained subject to a number of conditions, with Tesco yet to confirm whether it would take over the store.
Now, plans to install Tesco signage on the front of the shop, around the car park and on the road edge have been submitted to the Isle of Wight Council.
Second largest store
It would be the brand’s second largest store on the Island. It has small Tesco Express shops and the largest Tesco Extra at Westridge.
Proposed signs say the shop will be open from 7am to 10pm, Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday — the same hours the Co-op stores currently operate under.
Have your say
To view the plans, 21/01505/ADV, you can visit the council’s planning portal. Comments will be accepted until Monday, 6th September.
Staff members at the Afton Road Co-op will, the Southern Co-Operative say, have the opportunity to transfer to Tesco should they wish to do so.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is part of. Read here to find about more about how that scheme works on the Island. Some alterations and additions may have been made by News OnTheWight. Ed
Image: talk2santosh under CC BY 2.0
