Asda has officially confirmed it is the operator behind plans for a 24-hour supermarket on Chester’s Greyhound Retail Park.
The announcement comes after The Chronicle speculated for two years that Asda was keen to come to the park but the West Yorkshire-based retail giant had always been reluctant to comment.
Last August Land Securities, which owns the retail park, secured planning permission for the new store, which will also feature a home shopping unit and cafe.
The supermarket, which is expected to create 173 new jobs, is now under construction in place of what was Chester’s only remaining cinema and the Ten Pin bowling alley, which both closed last year.
This week an Asda spokesman told The Chronicle : “We are delighted to start work on our plans for a new store in Chester – the new 40,000 sq ft store will provide shoppers with a full range of Asda products, including our George clothing range and Extra Special range. We are looking forward to welcoming shoppers to our new store, later this year.”
He said the store would offer “low prices and excellent customer service”.
Asda Stores Ltd recently submitted a revised planning application for the site to make changes which it says “do not materially affect the overall design or function” of the current scheme.
This includes an overall increase in the back of house area, a slight reduction in car parking spaces from 301 to 299 and the relocation of four electric charging points for electric vehicles.
Asda has also applied to Cheshire West and Chester Council for a licence to sell alcohol from the store around the clock.
