Tesco is looking to open another new store on the Isle of Wight – this time in the heart of Newport Town Centre.
Planning permission is being sought to transform the former Laura Ashley store, located on the corner of St Thomas’ Square and the High Street, into a Tesco Express.
It will be the supermarket giant’s 6th store on the Island sitting alongside Tesco Extra in Ryde, Tesco in Freshwater and Express stores in Lake, Ventnor and Wootton.
If the green light is given by the Isle of Wight Council’s planning department, Tesco will amalgamate 35 and 36 High Street to create 1 big commercial unit, with alterations to the facade. This will include the removal of various internal partitions and partial removal of masonry party walls to create an open floor area. A plant room with hoist will be installed on the 1st floor.
Laura Ashley closed down in 2020 so the plans being brought forward by Tesco will bring back into use a prominent building tht has sat empty for 2 years. It comes at a time when the High Street is being blasted for being empty and run down, with calls for more to be done to encourage businesses back into Newport.
It’s unclear at this stage when the Express store is likely to open or how many jobs will be created.
Newport already boasts Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Lidl and Marks & Spencer, but recently lost its Co-Operative.
Then central will close and one more empty shop to replace Laura Ashley. No doubt the planners will say yes. Just like lake Tesco opens. Co-op closed.
Couldnt they just take over the old co.op and atleast give the town a post office etc
Central stores is opposite the proposed site so why is it needed?
Until Post office becomes a better business model nobody will take over it. Just how many stamps do you thing a cashier has to sell in one hour just to cover their own hourly rate? Trust me the answer is scary. There’s a reason why Newport post office was always short staffed and the queues were huge. They couldn’t afford more staff
Why dont they go into the old co op store
Because co- op are still paying these lease as they are stuck in a contract. It was more cost effective for them to continue to pay for it and have the shop closed than it was to leave it open as they were losing too much money.
Course council agreed this ,,,, they thinking of all the parking charges they get or tickets being issued by traffic wardens ,,, is more food outlets really needed in Newport , I realise it will occupy a bare window buttttt
Company greed they will eventually kill the goose that lays the golden egg
With the parking Iwould have thought the old co op stor would be better!!!!
Co op store way too big for a Tesco express store
Excellent…..another chain store in our little market town. What will it take for our councillors to learn from their mistakes? We do not want mainland chain stores which make us look exactly the same as every other town on the mainland. What we need is a return to unique, independent, individual,local businesses to draw in consumers and tourists. Why on earth holiday makers still want to come here is a mystery to me. Our seaside towns are depressed and ugly, it’s cheaper to fly to New York than to buy a return ticket on the ferries and then when tourists arrive here everything looks exactly the same as where they’ve just escaped from!
True about the towns, but I don’t think people visit here for those. They are coming for the beaches, coast and stunning countryside scenery.
What we need is to pedestrianise the town at weekends, council encourage (and don’t charge) cafes,pubs,restaurants, to put out seating,have live music, entertainment, pop-up markets and street food stalls, people will linger, buy food and drink and ultimately shop. The very last thing we need is another conglomerate, shareholder steered,faceless, careless,bland stores in our poor Capital Island Town!
That would be so nice like they did over yhe jubilee weekend
Why,as said Central will close,job losses etc. Not needed in Newport as enough already,but guess will sell lots of cheap booze on Friday/Saturday or rather teenagers will be stealing it like they did at co-op
What we want-
Greggs
Nandos
Primark
What we get-
Another unwanted express supermarket
Not everyone thinks that ‘what we want’ is Greggs, Nandos, Primark etc. Local independent shops that bring a bit of interest into Newport and economy into the town. Free parking so that people can enjoy the town.
Tesco in the high street?? So where do you park and how far would you have to carry your shopping?
Its only an express store your not likely to be doing a whole weekly shop in there
Good for Tesco I say. If central closes is it really a problem? I’d much rather have a Tesco £3 meal deal than get taken to the cleaners over the road. All the people saying the old coop. The floor space is to big for it to be an express shop and would have to close by 4 every Sunday.
And its people like you that are the reason smaller shops cant compete and go out of business. Sadly not all shops have the buying power to be able to provide a meal deal at £3, they don’t charge more by choice. I bet you buy your shopping from Amazon don’t you?. Try supporting the little guys for once.
Yes it is a problem if Central disappear. They have bills and families too you know.
Can they put a post office counter there. Ridiculous that our county town has no post office or train station!
It could have a station, but there’s no railway lines…
New independent butcher’s has opened in Newport. Why not support a local business and try some local Lamb and Beef? The farmers work hard to produce excellent quality and the team at the The Butcher’s shop are very welcoming.
If you want to encourage more smaller shops you first have to make the IOW council/central government to lower or abolish Business Rates and when that happens and these small shops come back you then have to shop there instead of finding excuses like parking charges. Use the buses and save the environment at the same time.
Or free 1 hour parking in Town
Tesco also own One Stop stores
They also own Tesco mobile and Tesco insurance…….. not sure what your point is??
Er, Tesco to open a small shop central Newport with the backing of the council?
So this shop is aimed at….quick ins and outs, in other words not the weekly shop just the bits and pieces required on the hoof?
So that suggests people stopping off to get the bits?
Given that most people would be stopping off so to speak, with a car?
What are we being told is going to be great for Newport by our illustrious Council?….Getting rid of as much parking as possibly for pedestrianisation and whacking everyone else with £2 an hour for the privilege.
That is really going to work isn’t it?
Does anyone know where no 35 is ? H samuels !