Supermarket operator Asda will open one of its exemplar stores as part of the £230m Quays development at Barry Waterfront, creating up to 300 jobs and providing a major boost to the local economy.
The Barry Waterfront Consortium agreed the deal with Asda as enabling works to prepare the site for the first phase of development get underway. House building at the waterfront is set to start next Spring, with a sales centre expected to open in 12 months’ time and the new store is projected to open for business in Autumn 2013.
The 32,000 sq ft store will be Asda’s first in the Vale of Glamorgan and will be built to the latest environmental standards. Similar stores in other parts of the UK hit emission targets of 50% less carbon than a typical store and divert around 95% of operational waste away from landfill.
Speaking on behalf of the Consortium, Richard Keogh said: “We have been in discussion with supermarket operators for some time, so it is great to be able to finally announce that we will be working with Asda in Barry.
“Creating a sustainable community has always been at the heart of the plans for The Quays, from site remediation and habitat protection, through to the layout of the scheme and investment in green buildings. The fact that Asda will be building one of the most environmentally friendly supermarkets in the UK right here in Barry further demonstrates this.”
“We’re really excited about the prospect of becoming part of the local community in Barry,” said Oliver Jones, Senior Property Communications Manager for ASDA. “We’ve recently been voted Britain’s Favourite Supermarket for the second year in a row and Britain’s Lowest Priced Supermarket for the 15th year in a row.
“We hope that our famous low prices and our commitment to being great neighbours will be a welcome benefit to the local community. In fact, each store has a dedicated Community Colleague whose role it is to make links with local residents and groups to help with fundraising and volunteering.
“Of course there will also be up to 300 jobs of all types available for local people in the store. We typically start recruiting about three months before a store opens and will provide more information further down the line about how to apply for these.”
The Quays, development marks the final phase in the large-scale regeneration of the waterfront and aims to create a sustainable mixed-use community focused around the water, with new parks and children’s play areas, promenades and public spaces to help connect the existing communities of Barry Island and Barry town.
It will consist of a new £5milllion link road from Barry town to Barry Island, a waterfront district centre featuring cafés and restaurants, a hotel, supermarket, as well as up to 2,000 new homes, including 15 per cent affordable housing.
As part of the scheme ‘s Section 106 agreement, the consortium will also invest a further £8million in local road improvements, a new primary school, sustainable transport measures, and improvements to community facilities, including water sports and public open space.
The Barry Waterfront Consortium is made up of developers Taylor Wimpey UK Ltd, Persimmon Homes and BDW Trading (Barratt South Wales).