SAINSBURY’S has announced plans to start work on the building of a new store in Portishead before the end of the year.
If all goes according to plan, the long-awaited store in Serbert Way would open in 2013.
Proposals for the new �15 million store were first launched in 2009 and were approved in 2011. However, a legal challenge by Co-operative, which has a store in the town, and a call for a judicial review, halted proceedings.
After a second application was approved, the final go-ahead was waiting on the approval of the North Somerset Council’s Core Strategy blueprint which is now in place.
A spokesman for Sainsbury’s has confirmed that, subject to no further legal challenges, work is expected to start late this year.
He said: “Preparation related to the construction of the store is now underway. We look forward to starting on site before the end of this year and opening Sainsbury’s Portishead store around autumn 2013.”
The new store will create 270 jobs, more than 50 of which will be full-time.
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