Score of jobs in the balance as Rustington store closes

The Co-operative food store, in Broadmark Lane, is to close on November 1 – leaving the jobs of its 53 staff hanging in the balance.

A spokeswoman for the company explained the Co-operative was ‘making every effort’ to ‘redeploy’ staff at other branches.

However, she could not comment on how many jobs could be saved through this effort.

The spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that we have finalised the sale of our Broadmark Lane store in Rustington and that the store will close on Saturday, November 1.

“Staff were informed last week, on Thursday, and every effort is being made to redeploy as many as possible of the 53 store colleagues, either with The Co-operative or to help them find alternative employment.

“We would like to thank the store team for their hard work, and our shoppers for their valued custom over the years.”

The site of the supermarket is owned by Store Property Investments Ltd, which owns most of Rustington’s retail areas.

A source within the organisation said the closure had not come as a surprise when it was officially announced on Thursday.

Sarah Wickens, of Store Property, said: “We’re disappointed for all the staff there but I think everyone has been aware that the store has been looking tired for a long time so we weren’t surprised by the Co-operative’s decision.

“We’re going to try our hardest to find another store to take its place.”

Ms Wickens said that Store Property had already submitted a planning application to Arun District Council to modernise the front of the shop.

It’s hoped that, if this application is approved, it will help in attracting an ‘anchor food retailer’ to the village.

Rumours have pointed towards a possible bid being made by upmarket retailer Waitrose.

There have even been suggestions that national pub chain Wetherspoon could be a potential replacement.

However, Ms Wickens was quick to dispel these ideas.

She said: “I was aware of all sorts of ideas and rumours about who might be taking the Co-operative’s place.

“But we haven’t got any retailer tied up at the moment.”

She explained that the store first needed to be modernised – a move which would help to improve the whole feel of Rustington’s shopping precinct.

“(The store) really needs some improvement in order to get a good retailer that we would like,” she added.

Councillor Graham Tyler, chairman of Rustington Parish Council – who also represents the village at district and county level – urged Store Property to be ‘expedient’ in finding a replacement for the Co-operative.

Mr Tyler said he was sympathetic to the staff’s situation at the shop.

He added: “There should be an urgency to the marketing of the site.

“I don’t think there will be much of an impact to the village in the short-term as long as we have something in place soon.”

He said he was concerned that a drawn-out process of hunting for a replacement occupier for the store could be detrimental to the village centre, particularly if the new retail park on the village outskirts was completed before this time.

Ms Wickens added: “We’re committed to the centre as a whole and maybe this is an opportunity to give it a new lease of life.”