Supermarket closes to make way for redevelopment

Saturday will be the end of an era when a long-running Hanley store shuts its doors for the final time.

Boarding put up next to the Iceland branch in Charles Street proclaims the future vision for the area as Stoke-on-Trent City Council's Etruscan Square redevelopment.

A Stoke-on-Trent City Council spokesperson said: "As part of the £20m Etruscan Square development, Iceland Food Ltd will vacate its Charles Street store and surrender the lease.

"This will allow work to move forward on phase one of the development, helping to regenerate Hanley as a place to live, work, shop and visit. Iceland has confirmed that all affected staff will be offered alternative roles at other stores."

The Etruscan Square site is earmarked for new city centre homes.

The redevelopment is part of a wider masterplan to transform the city centre into a "more vibrant, connected and welcoming space" by 2050.

Philip Cartlidge, 78, from Hanley, said he was shocked to hear the supermarket was closing its doors.

"It will be missed," he said. "It's going to be just Tesco and Lidl left, but sometimes you don't feel like walking up that bank.

"I know it's probably going to be redeveloped here but it's a shame it's closing."

Alan and Cathy Kidner said they had been doing their shopping at the store for 25 years and were worried there would soon be "nothing left" in Hanley with the current rate of store closures.

Hanley resident Imran Tahir was unaware the Iceland branch was set to shut at the weekend.

"I'm really not happy and there are a lot of customers, why don't they develop somewhere else, why here?" he said.

Meanwhile another Longton resident, who went into the store while waiting for her daughter to finish a class at the Royal Voluntary Service Centre next door, highlighted its convenient location.

"It's terrible – I didn't think it was being closed that quickly," she said.

"I'm worried for quite a few of the people next door who come out of there, do their shopping and go and catch a bus because it's not far from the bus station."

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