Green light for new Sainsbury's in Desborough

Work on a new Sainsbury’s on the northern edge of the town is set to begin this summer after North Northamptonshire Council gave their planning bid the green light at a recent meeting.

The 11,000 sq ft Sainsbury’s store will be on land next to the BP petrol station, near the Magnetic Park distribution centre.

Confirmation of another shop to choose from has been a long time coming - eight years after Tesco abandoned plans to build a store on the old Lawrence factory site and more than a decade after previous Sainsbury's suggestions came to nothing.

The new store is set to open in spring 2023 and will create about 40 jobs in total. Customers will also have the opportunity to order from Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing ranges for collection in-store.

Sainsbury’s said that, during a consultation phase, the plan received ‘overwhelming’ support from nearly 500 respondents. They said that 97.9 per cent of those surveyed said they would support improved shopping choice in Desborough and 95 per cent expressed support for Sainsbury’s specifically.

Councillor David Howes, North Northamptonshire Council member for the Desborough Ward, said: “I’ve worked extremely hard with Sainsbury’s to ensure that the planning application was perfect for the local community. It’s been great to see all the positive feedback and the enthusiasm for the store. This is a huge investment from Sainsbury’s, and I am excited for work to begin.”