Asda is coming to Barnstaple

A DEVELOPER has been lined up to help bring an Asda supermarket to Barnstaple town centre, it was confirmed this week.

Wessex Projects, led by Tim Jones, who is also the chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Business Council, has been engaged to manage the development of the Leaderflush Shapland site on the banks of the River Taw.

Sam Richards from local PR and advertising agency Juice is the spokesman for Wessex Projects. He said the plan for the land, known as Anchorwood Bank, was still at an early stage. No contracts have been exchanged and no planning applications have been submitted.

SIG, the corporation which owns the local iconic doormaking firm Leaderflush Shapland, is working with Wessex Projects to develop a plan involving Asda.

No other retailers or businesses have been linked to the development.

Leaderflush Shapland had planned to move to a new factory in Roundswell before the housing market crash scuppered a housing development plan on its land, and a sale to Asda could allow a relocation, although nothing has been confirmed.

If Asda, which is owned by American firm Wal-Mart, submitted a planning application to build a supermarket on the site, it would be in addition to an existing plan for a new Tesco superstore in the town centre.

Tesco, which secretly bought Brian Ford's in 2003, has already lodged a plan to build a large two-storey Extra supermarket — less than half-a-mile from the Leaderflush site.

The Tesco plan has yet to be decided by North Devon Council.

A large town centre development would help to replenish North Devon Council's recession-depleted coffers.

North Devon Council leader Des Brailey (Cons) said he been pro-active in his support of Leaderflush and he would be happy to see the site redeveloped, subject to appropriate retail assessment and planning requirements.