Work is set to start on Chorley's Asda store project (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Work is set to start on Chorley's Asda store project

9:00pm Friday 12th October 2012 in News

WORK on demolishing a major derelict store in the centre of Chorley is days away.

The former QS fashion building will be pulled down from October 22 and groundwork will begin for a long-awaited Asda store on the site.

The demolition phase of the project is set to last eight weeks before construction of the store begins in the new year.

Planning permission for the 44,000 sq ft Asda store, with a petrol filling station and 440 space car park, was granted in October 2010.

However, no visible progress has been made since then on starting the work at the site, located at the corner of Bolton Street and Pall Mall at the top of Market Street.

In recent months the council,police and fire service have all expressed concern that the huge empty building was a magnet for vandals, intruders and arsonists.

Asda senior property communications manager, Philip Bartram, said: “Asda have applied for permission to demolish the former QS Fashions and Kwik Save buildings in Chorley.

“Subject to receiving all of the necessary permissions, the works will commence in October.”

Coun Alistair Bradley, the leader of Chorley Council, said: “I’m keen to see the demolition work start on the Asda site as soon as possible and the council has been doing all it can to move forward the process to get the relevant permissions agreed.

“We are awaiting some final detail from Asda and we have been putting pressure on them to get this through to us so they can start work on site as soon as possible and this will be welcomed by both myself and residents.

“The store is set to create up to 400 jobs.Asda say they will work closely with Jobcentre Plus and other agencies to target job seekers from the Chorley area.