3 days Ago
Residents are still in the dark as to when a new supermarket could open. Plans were revealed in 2021 to convert the Meridian Shopping Centre in Peacehaven into a 27,000 square foot Morrisons. Work on the new site was due to begin in early 2024, after plans were approved by Lewes District Council in 2023.
Since then, no further progress has been made and residents have received no updates. The supermarket giant told The Argus that there is “no further news to share at this time” but MP Chris Ward is demanding answers. The MP for Brighton, Kemptown and Peacehaven has written to Morrisons to share concerns from residents.
He has called for a detailed update on the plans. “The people of Peacehaven deserve transparency and certainty and I would be grateful if you could provide a detailed update that I can share with the local community," he said. MP Chris Ward (Image: Andrew Gardner/The Argus) The concerns follow the planned closure of 17 Morrisons convenience stores and 52 cafes across the country.
Morrisons' cafes in Hawthorn Road, Littlehampton, and Pine Grove, Crowborough, have been earmarked for closure, as well as the convenience store in Strand Parade, Goring. The shake up means 365 people are at risk of redundancy. Mr Ward said: “Given the recent news that Morrisons is set to close 17 convenience stores and 52 cafes as part of wider cost-cutting measures, my constituents are understandably anxious about what this means for the future of the Meridian Centre project.
“Many are fearful that the site will remain derelict, leaving it vulnerable to vandalism and antisocial behaviour.” In July 2024, Peacehaven Town Council confirmed that following delays which prevented works beginning earlier in the year, the development would get underway in September. When contacted for comment, a Morrisons spokeswoman said there was “no new update” but reissued their previous statement.
The statement said: "The development has taken a number of years to come forward. "Due to rising construction costs over that time and changes in market demand on the retail units proposed, we are working on a revised proposal that meets the demand and needs of our prospective customers and allows us to deliver a new viable town centre for Peacehaven.".
