Supermarket plans remain on the shelf

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

Plans for another supermarket in Ashburton remain shelved after more than 10 years.

Foodstuffs purchased the property at 407 West St/State Highway 1 in October 2012 and planned to develop the site into a Pak’nSave.

When the Ashburton District Council consulted on plan change 4 in 2020, which aimed to strengthen the role of the CBD as the primary commercial, retail, recreation, cultural and entertainment centre for the district, Foodstuffs submitted, citing it would impact its plans to establish the supermarket outside the CBD boundary.

Plan change 4 became operative in July 2021, with the West St site zoned business C which ‘provides for limited commercial activities, service and community activities, as well as a range of light industrial activities’.

A provision was included to allow for the supermarket on the specific site.

Three years later there is still no indication when the plans will progress.

A Foodstuffs spokesperson said the company “don’t have any updates to share about the site at this stage”.

The closest alternative Pak’nSave stores are Hornby (Christchurch), and Timaru, with a new store under construction in Rolleston.

The West St site was the former historic Canterbury Flour Mill that was the scene of a major fire in February 2011.

The building, built in 1872, was gutted by the fire.

As well as the two Woolworths and a New World the town has some smaller grocery stores such as SuperValue in Tinwald, and Four Square Netherby, while The Warehouse has recently added produce to its supermarket offerings.

While Foodstuff’s plans for Pak’nSave in Ashburton remain shelved, Savemore has announced it is set to open a new grocery clearance store in the town in May.

The store will be in the Ashburton Central retail centre off Tancred St.

Savemore is New Zealand-owned and operated and offers ‘clearance groceries at bargain prices’.

It opened two stores in Christchurch in the last six months, with Ashburton being its third location.