Co-op looks to cross the street

Earlier in the year there was much speculation in Horsell about what would happen to the site of the Glass Shop and a short lived hardware shop on the southern side of the High Street.  Rumours abounded that either Tesco or Sainsbury's was to open a store in the village.  Residents were concerned about the effect one of these major supermarket chains would have on the Co-op, Spar, the local butchers and other village shops.

Current Co-op site seen from across the High
Street as we set up for Jubilation celebration

Speculation ended a few weeks ago when the Co-op, currently situated on the opposite side of the High Street.  submitted a planning application to move across the street.

The application can be viewed on the Woking Council Planning Portal PLAN/2012/0764  Planning permission is not required to open the Co-op in a new location across the road as the site was previously used for retail.  The Cooperative Group is applying to install a cash machine, a new shop front, roller shutters, an access ramp and external refrigeration plant.

I understand the store will use the downstairs space for the store and the first floor for a staff room and storage.  The current site has a first floor but it is taken up by occupied flats.

I will be looking in detail at how the store plans to service the new location and whether they will make any improvement in parking provision.  Concern has been raised at the current site when huge lorries are delivering and there is the eternal problem of cars reversing out of parking places, double parking or parking on the pavement.  I can envisage problems if what is currently a lightly used parking area has the regular coming and going of drivers popping in to the supermarket.  As with the current site access to parking on the opposite side of the road requires driving across the pavement.  The new site is complicated by the steep incline of the parking area.

The next question for Horsell is what will take the place of the Co-op.  It seems likely that there will be a new tenant / owner of the site as I believe the Co-op plans to divest its interest.  What the new occupant will be I do not know.