New pictures and video show demolition of West Sussex supermarket – to make way for a new hotel

As our new pictures show, the demolition of former supermarket Waitrose on the site has started, with a large chunk of the corner of the building reduced to rubble.

Demolition of the former Waitrose supermarket in Avon Road began on Monday, November 17, to make way for the construction of a new 130-room Premier Inn.

Whitbread, which owns the hotel chain, said previously it expects the demolition work to be completed by spring 2026. And then, it is hoped the new hotel will open in the second half of 2027.

A spokesperson for Premier Inn said: “We’re excited to bring a new Premier Inn to the heart of Littlehampton and have made a strong start on the project.

“Dorton Group, the demolition contractor, began clearing the site on the 17th November. They mobilised quickly and over the last few weeks have started demolishing the vacant supermarket building. We’re very grateful for everyone’s patience as we progress with the demolition – we appreciate it can be a noisy and disruptive process.

“We expect the demolition phase of the project to complete in the spring, after which we will have a building contractor appointed to construct the new Premier Inn. As a company we are very active on the south coast right now and we believe our brand will bring many long-term benefits to Littlehampton when we open.”

Arun councillors unanimously approved proposals for the new Premier Inn at a meeting held in August.

The hotel will have an associated restaurant, parking and landscaping, bringing new jobs and investment to the area.

The former Waitrose store 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.