Work is underway in Wimpole Road, Colchester, to create a new food store for the East of England Co-operative Society.

The store will have a sales area of around 3,000 square feet and on site parking for the convenience of customers.   In addition to the shop premises there will also be six two-bedroom flats above, which will be available for rent.

Building work on the project, which will cost just under £2 million, began at the beginning of June this year and is progressing well.

The store is expected to open in early spring 2011 when it will employ around 25 people.  It will sell a wide range of products including bakery, chilled frozen and fresh produce as well as an excellent selection of grocery items.     

Richard Samson, Chief Executive of the East of England Co-operative Society said:  “This new store will provide a quality food store in a convenient location close to people’s homes and is part of our multi-million pound self-funded development programme across the region.”

The Society is continuing to invest in its retail business including improving its existing stores as well as building and acquiring new ones.

The Wimpole Road building incorporates traditional materials including a slate roof and red facing brickwork in keeping with the local area.   In order to reduce carbon emissions, energy efficient refrigerators with LED lighting and low energy lighting and controls are being used within the scheme.  There will also be solar panels to provide hot water for the flats.

R G Carter (Colchester) is undertaking the construction work and the Society also employed a number of other local businesses to undertake the architectural, engineering, quantity surveying and mechanical and electrical designs for the project.

Robert Harrington, Regional Director and General Manager, for R G Carter said:
R G Carter is very pleased to be working with The East of England Co-op and their professional team on this project.  It is of particular importance to us due to its close proximity to our offices, and being based in the town it enables us to provide employment and to work with our local supply chain and benefit the local community.”

The Society has recently completed a number of major store refurbishment projects to its supermarkets and food stores across the region, including a £1.5 million project to improve the Halstead Co-op Supermarket and a complete overhaul of the Fronks Road Food Store in Dovercourt that cost almost £1 million.

Other East of England Co-op Supermarkets at Burnham-on-Crouch, Frinton-on-Sea and Brightlingsea have also received improvements, each costing in excess of £1 million.  An eco-friendly food store, with Sedum roof, was opened in Hatfield Peverel at the end of last year.

PHOTO CAPTIONS:

Photo 1:   Pictured left to right – Dave Meakings, Contracts Manager and Peter Burton, Construction Director R.G. Carter Colchester, Gillian Bober, President, Richard Samson, Chief Executive and John Tucker, Building Services Controller, East of England Co-operative Society.

Photo 2:  Gillian Bober, President, and Richard Samson, Chief Executive of the East of England Co-operative Society help with the bricklaying.

Note to editors:

The East of England Co-operative Society is the largest independent retailer in East Anglia and has over 200 trading outlets which are located in over 70 towns and villages including the three regional centres of Norwich, Ipswich and Colchester.  

The Society’s diverse business activities include: supermarkets and food stores, travel, pharmacy, optical and funeral branches, petrol forecourts, a Training Academy, and an Events and Conference Centre.
 
Contact:

Miriam Harrup, Communications Manager, East of England Co-operative Society
Wherstead Park, The Street, Wherstead, Ipswich, Suffolk IP9 2BJ
Email: m.harrup@eastofengland.coop