A SUPERMARKET chain wants to create jobs by re-building its store.
Sainsbury’s will open an exhibition this weekend to display plans to demolish its supermarket in Long Drive, South Ruislip, and re-build it to make it more environmentally friendly.
A team will be there to answer questions and discuss the proposal from 10am to 6pm on Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturday.
Roger Hayes, a spokesman for Sainsbury’s, described what the proposed store would be like.
He said: “Although the new building will be bigger in size, it will have a far smaller carbon footprint than the existing site.
“Inside there will be fresh food counters, which the store doesn’t have at the moment. The aisles will be made wider and there will be a new cafe.
“The shop front on Long Drive will be far more accessible and visually appealing. Although the highest point of the roof will be no higher than it is now, the lower parts will be raised to make the whole store feel bigger.”
“Every part of the building work will consider environmental impacts and the new building will have far lower emissions than the current site,” he said.
A car park will be built under the new shop in similar fashion to Tesco’s Yiewsley store, creating more than 200 new parking spaces. Mr Hayes says the re-build will create a significant number of new jobs in a variety of different roles.
Newsletters inviting people to attend the display were delivered to 5,000 households in Ruislip.
“We have been talking about a re-build for around 10 years so this is very necessary,” said Mr Hayes.
“We hope to have plans ready to be submitted by the close of the year, but first we wanted the public to have a look at the plans and give their comments and ideas.”
The proposal will be online from Friday at www.newsouthruislipsainsburys.co.uk.
Sainsbury’s has spoken to Hillingdon Council about its scheme but is yet to submit a planning application. If all goes to plan, Mr Hayes says work will begin in autumn 2013.
