Planners give go-ahead to new superstore

Spectrum Alpha Property fund has been given consent for a food store on the edge of the town centre, and is now in discussions with “major high street names” as to which of the supermarket giants will be taking over the location.

The site in question is on the intersection of New Street, Wood Street, Heelis Street and Westway and has caused controversy because it is close to an existing Morrisons supermarket.

Once open, the store could create “in excess of 450” new jobs.

It will also have 116,000 sq ft of retail space, a petrol station and around 540 parking spaces.

A spokesman for Spectrum said: “The consent will pave way for the regeneration of an underutilised brownfield site on the edge of the town, which will complement the other regeneration initiatives currently proposed, including the Barnsley Markets scheme, which is a major retail-led development, putting quality shopping and leisure at the heart of Barnsley.

“The markets development is anchored by a department store and multiplex cinema, which will be located on the town’s prime Cheapside retail pitch and link the town together in a cohesive fashion, with direct links to the transport interchange.”

Peter Macfarlane, joint managing director of Spectrum, added: “We are delighted on behalf of all our key stakeholders that we have been successful in promoting this location for a food store site.

“We will now be working very hard with the council to deliver our proposals, which will underpin this location as the food quarter for Barnsley.

“This is a major commitment by ourselves and our partners and we would hope to be able to announce further progress in the near future.”

Mr Macfarlane said that the firm would now be “hoping to start discussions with operators over the next month or so” and there were hopes that the new supermarket could open in 2014.