A START date for work on a new controversial food store in Eastleigh has been revealed.

The countdown is on as developers are set to move in on a new building site in Eastleigh.

Now Eastleigh Borough Council has announced the much-anticipated start date for a new Marks & Spencer Foodhall, which sparked fear with traders in the borough when plans were announced earlier this year.

As previously reported, the store will be coming to the borough and a Freedom of Information request made by the Daily Echo revealed that the development is costing the council around £3.6 million in borrowed funds.

The build is a matter of months away as the council is anticipating work will start on the store by October this year. The council decided to pay for the development to attract the heavy-weight store to come to the borough in a bid to boost economy in the area.

But the plans to build the store were met with anger from business owners across the borough with many saying it wasn’t fair that the council were paying for the build and fears that it could drive business away from local traders.

The foodhall is set to be built in Eastleigh town centre and will be a 16,000ft plot.

Work will initially get underway in October for part of the current site occupied by Twyford Road car park.

The new store is positioned in walking distance of the main train and bus stations and the town centre.

Daily Echo: Keith HouseCllr Keith House

Leader of the Lib Dem council, Cllr Keith House, said: “The decision by Marks & Spencer to have its new Foodhall in the town centre is great news for the town and local people. M&S will be a great addition to our town centre offer. It follows on from the cinema and restaurant development at the Swan Centre, Travelodge, the expansion of The Point and the arrival of the Council itself.”

The development of the new Marks & Spencer store will be undertaken for the council by Cordwell Property Group.

The store is due to open in 2017 and an opening date is expected to be announced once building work is fully underway.

Tom Wilcox, Development Director at Cordwell Property Group, said: “We are delighted to have signed up Marks & Spencer on this important development site and to bring one of the UK’s prime retail operators into Eastleigh’s town centre. This will not only be an added benefit to local residents by offering them more choice, but also it will attract people from other surrounding areas and be a real boost to the local economy.”

Robert Morray, Head of Property Planning at M&S, added: “We’re really excited to be bringing a new Foodhall to Eastleigh. Local customers will be able to enjoy the very best of M&S food at the new store, from traditional favourites to seasonal creations. In the run up to the launch we’ll be working closely with the community and look forward to sharing further plans in due course.”

The council has also confirmed that it will retain ownership of the site and receive a standard commercial rental income from M&S each year.