MORRISONS bosses will decide when the Regent Circus branch closes after reaching the end of a lengthy consultation.
The Adver was told by an anonymous source that a date in the first week of November had been mooted by management and that the store’s 113 staff had been told this would be the shop’s final day in the town centre.
But the supermarket’s head office stressed that nothing that specific had been set yet and a date would not be announced for some time.
A spokeswoman said: “It is too early to say at this stage. We have just started the consultation process and will know more once that is complete.
“The consultation process is expected to last 45 days.”
The supermarket opened in late 2014 as one of the anchors of the Regent Circus regeneration project which followed the demolition of Swindon College.
Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for the town centre Dale Heenan said earlier this month: “We have been assured that the company will be conducting a comprehensive consultation process to support those staff affected.
“Swindon has an average of 25 per cent fewer empty shops than the national average and the Regent Circus site is prime retail space likely to attract interest from other organisations.
“We will do all we can to support finding a new occupier and we are open to all ideas to help businesses.”
The Regent Circus store is one of four UK Morrisons branches that could face closure.
The others are in Ince near Wigan, Shirley near Solihull and Crawley in West Sussex.
National officer for shop workers’ union USDAW Joanne McGuiness said when the closure was first announced: “We will now enter into meaningful consultations with the company to look at the business for their proposals. In the meantime we are providing members with the support, advice and representation they need.”
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