Waitrose confirm opening date for new Haywards Heath store

The national chain has seen its first supermarket created in the town as part of a £35m regeneration project at the Station Quarter in Perrymount Road.

Work has almost been completed on the new store and this week the company announced it would be opening its doors to the public on March 30 at 7am.

Waitrose branch manager Rupert Simpson said: “We have been overwhelmed by the interest and anticipation around our arrival so we are delighted that we can now give people an opening date.

“We are incredibly proud to be coming to Haywards Heath and cannot wait to welcome our new customers in March.”

The store will create 140 jobs.

According to the retailer more than 400 people applied to fill the vacancies within the first two weeks, with interviews currently underway for customer service, hospitality and supermarket assistant positions.

Waitrose has also been working with Jobcentre Plus as part of the process to provide interview opportunities for unemployed people.

All successful candidates will become partners in the John Lewis Partnership, the UK’s oldest and largest employee owned business.

The new store has been built on the site of the former Chelwood House and iconic bus station on Commercial Square.

Plans to redevelop the area were first submitted by Solum Regeneration in conjunction with Southern Railway, who manage the station, and Waitrose in September 2012.

They outlined the creation of an improved integrated transport hub at the station, a ‘radically enhanced public realm’ around the station, improved pick up and drop off facilities, more station car parking, a direct link from the car park to platforms and a new 30,000sq ft store with its own parking.

The improved parking and access to the station included a new 1,100 space multi-storey car park which was opened last year along with a new footbridge connecting the car park to the station’s platforms.

BBC gameshow host Richard Osman crowned the new footbridge as the ‘world’s ugliest’ when visiting the station in August, a few week’s after it was officially opened by Network Rail.

Don’t miss out on all the latest breaking news where you live.

Here are four ways you can be sure you’ll be amongst the first to know what’s going on.

1) Make our website your homepage

2) Like our Facebook page

3) Follow us on Twitter

4) Register with us by clicking on ‘sign in’ (top right corner). You can then receive our daily newsletter AND add your point of view to stories that you read here.

And do share with your family and friends - so they don’t miss out!

Always the first with your local news.

Be part of it.