New pictures show huge chunk of former West Sussex superstore has been demolished

Drone pictures taken today by photographer Eddie Mitchell show a large portion of the building has completely gone.

Once the building is cleared, it will make way for a new 130-bedroom Premier Inn hotel.

A spokesperson for Premier Inn, said: “The process of bringing Premier Inn to Littlehampton Town Centre is well underway.

“In a few months’ time our demolition contractor Dorton Group will have finished clearing the site and we will be planning the delivery of the new Premier Inn hotel.

“We can’t wait to be represented here, creating new jobs and supporting the town centre.

“We’re very grateful for everyone’s patience as we progress with the demolition – we appreciate it can be a noisy and disruptive process.”

Demolition of the former Waitrose supermarket in Avon Road began on Monday, November 17.

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.

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.