Residents of Hamworthy, Poole, will get their first chance to view the plans for their new Co-op at a public meeting.

The store is being scaled down from the original plans, following the destruction of the Blandford Road supermarket in a fire two years ago.

The meeting will be held at Carter Community School on Tuesday from 7pm to 9pm and residents are invited to attend.

Footage of the fire in September 2007

Co-operative operations manager Ian Davies said: “Local people have been very patient since they lost their Co-operative food store in a fire in 2007.

“This meeting will give us a chance to share our plans for the new Co-operative and give residents the chance to see for themselves what the proposed store will look like.

“We hope as many people as possible come along on the night to find out more,” he said.

Planning permission was granted in August 2008 for a £2.5 million development of an 8,000 sq ft store and eight flats.

However the Co-op has had a rethink and now proposes a 5,000 sq ft store with flats alongside.

The reason for the downsizing is the emergence of “additional retail provision” in the area. A Lidl store has opened further down Blandford Road, opposite Turlin Moor.

Following the devastating blaze in summer 2007 which gutted the building, the cause of which was not determined, the Co-op pledged to rebuild and subject to planning permission and aims to complete the store next autumn.

For those not able to make it to the meeting, there is another opportunity to view the plans. They will be displayed in the membership trailer, parked in the temporary store’s car park from noon on Tuesday October 6 to 3pm on Wednesday October 7.

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