Staffordshire Moorlands District Council

This week Staffordshire Moorlands District Council signed an agreement with a consortium comprising Sainsbury's and St James Securities Limited, which sets out how the parties will work towards achieving the redevelopment of a 4.8-acre site in the town centre.

The site, which is bounded by the bypass, Wharf Road and Station Road, will accommodate a new Sainsbury's supermarket, new small retail shops and may include a relocated library.

Councillor Andrew Hart, cabinet member for regeneration, said: "This year we became the first authority in the country to have an area action plan approved by the government. The document is a blue print for the future regeneration of Biddulph and guides how the town centre can be developed. The area action plan has involved public consultation and is the culmination of three years' hard work by this authority with cross-group councillor co-operation. We have been the facilitator for this project, and have worked with partners at Staffordshire County Council and Biddulph Town Council. It has involved a lot of effort by officers and we have worked very hard to achieve this. The plans will help generate millions of pounds of investment in the town centre and we are pleased to now be in a position to have moved forward on the main element of the plan.

"Sainsbury's interest in Biddulph is a huge vote of confidence in the town and is proof that we are delivering our promises to breathe fresh life into the local economy. The agreement is another major coup borne out of the area action plan and sets out a number of steps that the council and the consortium will take to secure the regeneration of the town centre site. This includes agreeing a timetable for the scheme and undertaking public consultation on draft plans for the site before a planning application is submitted next year.

"Sainsbury's interest complements the outline planning approval granted earlier this year for a non-food retail development of seven new stores on the edge of the town by the bypass. This is an exciting time for Biddulph and people can feel rightly proud about the town's future."

Left to Right: John Liggins of Liggins Thomas representing Sainsbury's; Councillor Andrew Hart - Staffordshire Moorlands Distrcit Council cabinet member for Regeneration; Vicky Shaw - Sainsbury's development surveyor and Roland Stross of St James Securities Limited.

Jamie Cowen, regional development executive at Sainsbury's, said: "We are delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the regeneration of Biddulph town centre. We are confident that a new Sainsbury's will help to generate more interest in the town as a shopping centre, and believe the store will enhance the existing retail offer.

''The new Sainsbury's will also create over 200 new jobs for the local community and we are committed to building a strong partnership with the town centre retailers in promoting Biddulph."

St James Securities Limited has partnered many local authorities and has a high-profile track record of projects including the award-winning 'The Light' leisure and retail centre in Leeds and the 'Centenary Square' leisure development in Bradford. In 2005 St James also won the RICS International Project of the Year Award for the 'Round Foundry' mixed use development in Leeds.

Company director Roland Stross said: "We are very excited indeed about working with the council to deliver the redevelopment of this strategic site in Biddulph. This is a wonderful opportunity which will completely revitalise the town centre. Working in association with Sainsbury's, we are confident in delivering a high quality scheme which will be a valuable asset for the town and will attract much new business into the area and act as a major catalyst for the future regeneration of the town centre."