Sainsbury's says it expects Ludlow store to open by Christmas

Work to prepare the ground for a new Sainsbury's supermarket at Rocks Green, Ludlow, has begun, with the firm saying it expects the steel frame for the building to start going up next month.

Sainsbury’s said it expects to take control of the building in Autumn this year and then will start to fit the store out.

The fitting out stage of the store development will take around three months to complete with the retailer saying it is focused on opening the doors to customers by Christmas.

Sainsbury’s property director Patrick Dunne said: “We are proud to be joining the local community in Ludlow and look forward to welcoming customers into the new store as soon as possible.

"Our investment in Ludlow will give residents a new and modern store and is supporting jobs during construction and beyond. This new supermarket will provide customers with access to fresh, great value food alongside Sainsbury’s renowned colleague service."

The 17,000 sq. ft supermarket will also include an Argos store.

Sainsbury's says that once complete the new supermarket will create around 150 jobs, and that it will update on the recruitment process later this year as the construction progresses.

The prospect of creating a supermarket at Rocks Green was first revealed back in 2014.

A plan was approved by Shropshire Council's then South Planning Committee in 2017, after initially being deferred. At the time it was not known which supermarket would be taking on the site.

The decision was referred to the Secretary of State for review but he decided not to intervene and the project was approved.

It was finally revealed in July last year that the site would be taken on by Sainsbury's, with the company’s head of stores for the central zone, Tom Balay saying: “We’re really looking forward to serving the Ludlow community. This new store is a win for residents and ensures Ludlow has the services it needs for the future.”