Asda unveils its plans for a new superstore
Artist's impression showing how the new Asda store in Todmorden may look
MORE than 30 jobs will be created when a supermarket opens its new Todmorden store later this year.
Asda has confirmed it will start building work on the new supermarket on the site of the Abraham Ormerod Centre and the former Olympia cinema, Burnley Road, next month and it is scheduled to open in October.
An Asda spokesman said: “We are delighted to be opening a new store in Todmorden.
“Our store will give local people access to our high quality products and services all at Asda’s low prices.
“We are aiming to commence building work in the spring with our store set to open later this year.”
The news has been welcomed by figures in the town.
Todmorden ward councillor Ian Cooper said: “I’m pleased that we can now see clearly the firm commitment by Asda to carry out the work and provide that vital regeneration contribution to Todmorden town centre.”
Mayor of Todmorden Coun Richard White welcomed the new jobs and said he hoped the store would encourage people to use the market and other businesses in Todmorden.
“It’s near the town centre so it will be easier for people to get from the store to the market and will increase town centre car parking,” he said.
“I’m sure that it will tidy the town up, make more use of the town centre and hopefully bring more people in.
“I think it will be good for the town.”
Calderdale Council granted Asda planning permission for the store last spring.
Two different store designs were put forward at the time: one which would incorporate the art deco facade of the former cinema building and one which would demolish it.
It is not yet known which design has been chosen.
Coun White said he preferred the one with a tower replacing the facade.
“I don’t think it’s an outstanding facade and it will need a lot of work to make it look presentable, whereas in the clock tower design they were planning on using stone from the Abraham Ormerod Centre building,” he said.
Supermarkets have been a hot topic in Todmorden over the past year with Sainsbury’s submitting an application for a new store on Halifax Road. Planning permission was refused.
“When we opposed Sainsbury’s it was on the basis that Asda would be opening that store,” Coun White said.
“The cinema site has had planning permission for supermarket use from way back.
“If we got a large Sainsbury’s on the Halifax Road site, that would provide competition for everybody.”
Last month Asda announced it would be investing more than £500m in 2012, opening 25 new stores and three new depots, creating up to 5,000 jobs.
One of the new depots will be in Rochdale. It will service chilled and frozen products to stores along the M62 corridor.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Halifax
Wednesday 30 May 2012
Today
Light showers
Temperature: 11 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 10 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: West
Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
the skeletor
Monday, February 13, 2012 at 05:31 PMthe image shown with this article is a generic one. I don't think that Asda will be opening a 24 hour store in Todmorden as it is just going to be a supermarket NOT a superstore like the one in Burnley.
saulman
Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 12:18 PMThe store in that image bears no resemblance to the planning drawings. Unless Asda have revised their application, the store will look nothing at all like that. It will be built from the stone of the Abraham Ormerod building and be much more sympathetic to the town centre than the monstrosity that is shown. Is there a mistake somewhere?
hainsy
Friday, February 10, 2012 at 04:51 PMI hope that Ian Cooper and Richard White are proved right, but if they are its on the wing of a prayer. i don't believe this development is going ahead for the good of the town, its the developers and the Walton family (owners of Walmart - who own Asda) who are set to benefit from this. They live on another continent and don't give a fig about the repercussions for our town. i felt sick when i saw the image. Todmorden might just as well be renamed Asda Town. Oh and i really hope they didn't pay someone to make the 'artists impression' i could have taken a picture of Asda in Burnley, Halifax etc and edited it in for no money at all.
dondoric
Thursday, February 9, 2012 at 10:42 PMThe new Asda store coming to Todmorden will be fantastic news for the town plus Asda's new warehouse distribution centre coming to Kingsway in nearby Rochdale is also good news for potential Todmorden jobseekers looking for full-time work.What a pity though about Sainsbury's not coming to Todmorden which will eventually now ultimately go to Rochdale instead as over there,there is no big Sainsbury's store just a smaller Sainsbury's local store in Littleborough at present.
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.