Waitrose Confirms Opening Date For New Guildford Store

Published on: 10 Sep, 2015
Updated on: 10 Sep, 2015

The new Waitrose store under construction today (September 10, 2015) Click on images to enlarge.

Artist’s impression of the finished Waitrose store from a similar viewpoint at the junction of Haydon Place and Leapale Lane.

Waitrose has confirmed that its new Guildford supermarket will open on Thursday, October 22, three years after planning permission was granted in the face of significant opposition in November 2012.

Located on the former Bellerby Theatre site off York Road, fears remain among some Guildford residents that the impact on traffic flow in York Road could be severe. There were also objections to the closure of a pedestrian subway under York Road.

The Waitrose site from York Road today. New traffic lights will control vehicles leaving the car park on to York Road. Some are predicting severe traffic disruption.

Others have criticised the contemporary style architecture which Waitrose architects said, during the planning phase, were in line with the brief they were given by the council.

The building project includes 45 flats and three houses, 18 of them designated as affordable housing. But some, including the Guildford Vision Group, felt that a larger number of housing units should have been included even if it meant limiting the space for the supermarket.

Some of the town houses under construction. There will be 48 new dwellings as part of the overall project.

Two judicial reviews of the planning decision were also sought, one by the Guildford Vision Group and one commenced by the former owners of the Friary Centre, Hermes Real Estate. M & G Real Estate, who bought the Friary Centre from Hermes continued with the application but both were eventually withdrawn in 2013.

Waitrose is part of the John Lewis Partnership that warned this morning (September 10) that its full-year profits could fall by as much as a fifth on the back of higher pensions costs and the ongoing grocery price war. But locally the new store is expected to succeed. There is likely to be plenty of demand among more affluent Guildford shoppers for a high-end grocery offering.

The new supermarket is creating up to 200 jobs across all departments and attracted more than 1,200 applications when it launched its recruitment drive in the summer. And the new recruits will enjoy a well known perk of John Lewis employment; as partners in the John Lewis Partnership, they will be entitled to exclusive benefits, including shopping and leisure discounts, learning subsidies and a share in profits in the form of an annual bonus.

The view from Haydon Place.

Cllr Caroline Reeves (Lib Dem, Friary & St Nicolas) who lives nearby said: “It’s good to see the construction work progressing so quickly now and I’m particularly looking forward to seeing the landscaping going in.

“The loss of the trees along York Road was very sad and I’m pleased that we have conditioned the planting of good sized trees as part of the scheme. Residents have been very patient but I’m sure their environment will be greatly improved when the work is completed and residents can have their neighbourhood back.

“The major upgrade of the crossroads has obviously caused issues for drivers, but pedestrians will at last have a safe crossing in all directions at the crossroads.”

According to a Waitrose press release, work on the internal fit-out has now started and the new branch will offer: “…the retailer’s latest concepts and features, including meat, fish and deli counters, a bakery with an eat-in area, a rotisserie, and an extensive wine department with tasting tables.”

The message displayed on the site.

The statement continues: “When the store officially opens its doors, Waitrose will launch a number of initiatives to help support the local community. Every month, it will donate £1,000 to local charities and groups nominated by customers as part of its Community Matters scheme. The branch will also provide 250 hours each year to causes through the Waitrose Partner Volunteering programme.”

The site plan – published at the time planning permission was granted.

Ken Storr, branch manager for Waitrose Guildford said: “It’s been 40 years since we last traded in Guildford so we can’t wait to return. We are looking forward to delivering a high-quality branch and becoming part of the local community again.

“We are particularly keen to build relationships with local charities, good causes and schools as part of our Community Matters scheme. We hope to develop a long list of organisations that we can support over the coming months, so we are now open to nominations and hope that local people will take the opportunity to get in touch with their ideas.”

Any Guildford residents wishing to nominate a charity, school or good cause for the Community Matters scheme should contact: matthew.bull@waitrose.co.uk

See other Waitrose articles here.

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