Sainsbury’s Foss Bank closes doors for good on January 11

Sainsbury’s on Foss Bank is set to shut for good at 6pm with many of the staff having already left and shoppers picking up last minute groceries.

This follows a decision from the site’s landlord to redevelop the area into one larger development which will be a mixture of student accommodation, ‘co-living accommodation’, and retail space.

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The decision sparked controversy, with many residents and Guildhall ward councillors protesting with a petition to save the store.

The ‘Save Foss Bank Sainsbury’s’ petition, which began on March 29 of last year, has secured 1,337 online signatures and called the decision a ‘huge loss of a community asset to people in the area, and the potential loss of crucial employment in a thriving business’.

Guildhall ward councillor, Rachel Melly said: “Foss Bank Sainsbury’s has been an important part of the local community for decades. We would like to thank the staff for how helpful they’ve been to local residents over this long period.

“As local councillors, we’ve been campaigning for the last year to keep Foss Bank Sainsbury’s open. We know that the closure is a huge blow to the local community and without certainty over future use of the site, we think Sainsbury’s lease could have been extended.

“The risk now is the building sits empty, potentially for years, with no productive use.

 “Although it’s too late now to prevent this Sainsbury’s branch from closing altogether, we are still lobbying the landowner to include a large supermarket on the site as part of any redevelopment, with a full range rather than just a convenience store.  Please sign the petition to help us make the case for a replacement supermarket: www.change.org/p/save-foss-bank-sainsbury-s”

A spokesperson for Sainsbury’s said: “We would like to thank our loyal customers for their support throughout the store’s many years of serving the local community, and for all the kind messages we have received since this news was announced.

“We understand this will be an unsettling time for everyone this affects and have been committed to doing everything we can to support them – this has included offering opportunities for our colleagues to redeploy to alternative roles within Sainsbury’s.”

The nearest Sainsbury’s stores will be the superstore at Monks Cross and the Sainsbury’s local in Piccadilly, with the supermarket saying that it is open to suggestions for a new Sainsbury’s site in York.