A new £21m Asda that suffered a two-year delay in construction following the demise of civil & structural engineers Clugston Group, has finally opened.
The phoenix-like rise took place in the East Midlands town of Worksop last month where a new 37,500 sq ft retail outlet on Sandy Lane is now welcoming shoppers.
HBPW Engineer, Tom Flint, who lead the civil and structural elements of the project, including design of the building’s superstructure, foundations and car parking area, said the project had been a resounding success but was not without its challenges.
“It all began so well in October 2018 when we prided ourselves on reducing steel costs by 15% after an exercise in value engineering.”
However, soon afterwards Asda went into merger talks with Sainsbury’s, pausing the development for a few months. The merger never happened but just as things were getting back on course, Clugston’s went into liquidation in early summer 2019.
“The Ashcourt Group eventually came to the rescue,” added Tom, “picking up where Clugston’s had left off, and I am delighted to report that Asda Worksop is now open and delighting local customers.”
The Worksop superstore has not only launched the chain’s first Mumbai-style streetfood kiosk but is also among the first to have enhanced safety measures including an antimicrobial coating on basket handles, petrol pumps, toilet door locks and freezer door handles that limits the spread of bacteria and viruses.
HBPW has worked with the Asda brand previously and was involved in the ‘ground up’ design and build of a £3m Asda store in Shepshed near Loughborough in Leicestershire.