260 staff working at new Leek Sainsbury's store
SHOPPERS have been welcomed into a town's new £40 million supermarket for the first time.
The Sainsbury's store in Leek opened its doors to customers yesterday – three years after plans for the development on the Churnet Works site off Macclesfield Road were first submitted.
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TRYING SOMETHING NEW: Store manager Julie Hatton and John Lockett, from the Churnet Valley Railway Group, open the Sainsbury's store in Leek, inset. Picture:
More than 260 full and part-time jobs have been created at the supermarket, with around 30 staff recruited through Sainsbury's You Can scheme targeting long-term unemployed people.
Manager Julie Hatton, who cut the ribbon at the store's formal opening ceremony, said the store had only recruited staff who lived within 10 miles.
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While the freezing conditions kept some shoppers away yesterday, Ms Hatton said she was confident that Sainsbury's would soon become an established part of Leek.
She said: "We are delighted to be able to welcome customers to the new store.
"We look forward to being part of Leek for years to come and I would like to offer sincere thanks to residents and the wider community for all their patience throughout the construction works.
"I think that once people start to come to the store and see it's local people who are working here, they'll see that this isn't just about Sainsbury's moving into the town."
Antony Tatton, who works in the store's pharmacy, had been out of work for seven months after arthritis ended his career as a welder.
He said the opening of the new supermarket would be a boost to unemployed people in and around Leek.
The 33-year-old, of Alsop Street, Leek, said: "I was looking for a change of career because of my arthritis, but I was starting to get down because nowhere would give me a chance.
"Sainsbury's will be really good for employment in Leek. I have quite a few friends who are out of work as well."
Leek College student Emma Wilson is one of the supermarket's new part-time workers.
The 18-year-old, of Westwood Park Drive, Leek, said: "As soon as I heard Sainsbury's were recruiting I applied straight away. They've let me fit my shifts around my studies, which has been good.
"I think Sainsbury's will be good for the town, and it's created a lot of jobs. A lot of the other people here have been really struggling to find work until now."
The 40,000 sq ft supermarket has been built with a number of energy saving measures including large windows, 100 per cent LED lighting and rainwater harvesting.
Eight existing businesses on the Churnet Works site have been relocated to purpose-built employment units constructed by Sainsbury's. The site also includes a wetland conservation area and a public park, with work carried out to improve the flow of the River Churnet.
But the development has provoked controversy, with many residents opposed to the road changes linked to the scheme, particularly the removal of Leek's floral roundabout.
Pensioner Cynthia Lubacz, who lives close to the supermarket in Abbey Green Road, was welcomed as the store's first customer with a bouquet of flowers.
Mrs Lubacz said: "It's great that it has developed a derelict site. It was absolutely terrible here before. Hopefully we'll see increased footfall in Leek now that the supermarket has opened.
"It was a noisy summer for me with the building work that was going on, but I think it has all been worth it."
Comments
by minky21
Sunday, January 20 2013, 5:33PM
“I think you ever designed the road changes has never been to Leek. It may look nice but the "shared space" at the bottom of Derby St is a joke especially at a time when motorists have never been more selfish. It's an accident waiting to happen. When the market stalls are set up you have no view left as you turn into Derby St, and God help any one that thinks the area is actually pedestrianised. Whoever designed it should also attempt turning left from Market St into Stockwell St, which you are now forced to do should you want to go to the Co-op, Asda side of town, its's not fun especially at peak times. I'm glad Sainsburys came to Leek but I prefer the good old roundabout, it was prettier and safer.”
by johncorserine
Thursday, January 17 2013, 10:36AM
“Well, save for dealing with some issues re the crossing to the west of the area in front of the memorial and some snag repairs the whole area has opened up the bottom of Derby Street into a much more pleasant area. This has risen footfall into that part of town which was much needed. And in my view the proposals for the nearby Talbot Hotel would not have happened had the area been left in it's previous state.
I already know the arguments from those who opposed the roundabout removal but surely all but the most glummest and diehard oppositionists can't deny it has improved the area and with much more investment in that part of town following in it's wake.”
by THX1138
Thursday, January 17 2013, 10:04AM
“Why not?”
by johncorserine
Thursday, January 17 2013, 9:56AM
“"No we don't, no we don't, no we don't !"”
by THX1138
Thursday, January 17 2013, 9:45AM
“We want our roundabout back, we want our roundabout back, we want our roundabout back!”