Demolition of former Littlehampton supermarket to begin – ahead of plans for a new hotel
A date for work to begin to demolish a former supermarket in Littlehampton has been revealed.
The demolition of the former Waitrose building in Anchor Springs on Avon Road will start on Monday, November 17.
Signs put up on the bus stop outside say they will have to be suspended for eight weeks while the work is carried out due to ‘health and safety’.
The sign adds: “During this time, bus arrivals and departures will relocate to the junction of High Street and Church Street, just a short walk away from Anchor Springs.”
This comes just three months after Arun councillors unanimously approved proposals for a new Premier Inn hotel in Littlehampton, at a meeting held in August.
Premier Inn owners Whitbread plans to redevelop the former Waitrose supermarket site on Avon Road into a 130-bedroom hotel, with an associated restaurant, parking and landscaping. The hotel chain plans to bring new jobs and investment to the area.
The former Waitrose store on Avon Road has been vacant since its closure in 2015. Whitbread’s proposed redevelopment in a new Premier Inn seeks to revitalise this prominent location, bringing it into long-term use and enhancing the town centre, while meeting the growing demand for high-quality, affordable hotel accommodation on the south coast.
At the time, planning officer Simon Davis, who presented the report, said: “This application proposes a new four-storey 130-bed hotel on the site of the former Waitrose store. Members will note there is a report update which comprises an additional letter of no objection. This also covers some proposed amendments to the construction management plan condition.
“The town council supports the application, as do most of the interested persons. There were, however, concerns raised by the council's conservation officer and by the conservation area advisory panel on design and heritage grounds.
“There is support for proposal from council's economic development officers. [West Sussex] Highways have asked for advised conditions after stating a preference that a traffic regulation order is applied for, concerning the delivery bay and that new dropped curbs and tactile paving are provided on Anchor Springs and East Street – to make it easier for the public to cross those roads or slightly easier.”