DIY store site deal agreed
Work on a new £12 million DIY superstore, creating up to 150 jobs in Telford, could start as soon as the summer, it was revealed today.Work on a new £12 million DIY superstore, creating up to 150 jobs in Telford, could start as soon as the summer, it was revealed today. The sale of the fire-ravaged Snedshill Industrial Estate site, for an undisclosed seven-figure sum, has now been agreed and is expected to go through in May - and the deal for the site will see £500,000 put towards a new link road between the M54 and the A442 in the town. The site will be razed to the ground to make way for a new 4,866 sq metre Wickes DIY store and garden centre. The sale of the estate, which was devastated by fire in December 2005. is due to go through in May and demolition crews are expected to move in shortly afterwards. Read the full story in the Shropshire Star
Work on a new £12 million DIY superstore, creating up to 150 jobs in Telford, could start as soon as the summer, it was revealed today.
The sale of the fire-ravaged Snedshill Industrial Estate site, for an undisclosed seven-figure sum, has now been agreed and is expected to go through in May - and the deal for the site will see £500,000 put towards a new link road between the M54 and the A442 in the town.
The site will be razed to the ground to make way for a new 4,866 sq metre Wickes DIY store and garden centre.
The sale of the estate, which was devastated by fire in December 2005. is due to go through in May and demolition crews are expected to move in shortly afterwards.Only a handful of businesses remain on the site and the largest, Workwear and Business Casuals, began moving out yesterday.
Shrewsbury-based developer Liberty Mercian has agreed to pay the council £760,000 towards road improvements.
This includes £500,000 towards the new £4 million Greyhound Link Road between the M54 and A442 as part of the development.
Telford & Wrekin Council gave its backing to the Wickes proposal last year and announced the plans would not be called in by the Government.
Chris Towers, Liberty Mercian director, today said the sale of the land should go through in mid-May.
Demolition and site clearance would follow.
"It's a dirty site at the moment, so we've got a remediation programme that will be first phase of development of the site," said Mr Towers.
"We're still in negotiations about Wickes being built on the site, but the plan is that's what will happen."
"It's a £12 million store that will be built, creating full and part-time jobs.
"We will own the site, but Wickes would be a tenant of ours."
Mr Towers said he did not know when building work would begin because it was currently out to tender, but demolition of the site should start "fairly soon".
"There are people moving out of the site at the moment and when that's complete, demolition will follow shortly afterwards," he said.
Workwear and Business Casuals is moving to Halesfield Industrial Estate.
Wickes was unavailable for comment on the issue.
By Becky Parkinson