March 16, 2023 7.00 pm This story is over 26 months old

New eco-friendly Lincolnshire Co-op store opens in Lincoln

Housing and commercial opportunities also on site
The new Lincolnshire Co-op Food Store on Skellingthorpe Road in Lincoln is open for business | Photo: Lincolnshire Co-op
By Local Democracy Reporter

A new Lincolnshire Co-op food outlet has opened on Skellingthorpe Road in Lincoln.

It opened on Thursday, March 16, replacing the nearby Swanpool Food Store with around 50% more sales space.

Two additional commercial units and a pair of semi-detached houses have been built as part of a £2million investment.

Staff at the Swanpool site have moved across to this new store.

| Photo: Lincolnshire Co-op

Four new recruits have also been employed by the Lincolnshire Co-op for this site.

An eco-friendly refrigeration system will see recycled energy produced to heat the store, while energy usage has been reduced by around 20%.

| Photo: Lincolnshire Co-op

In keeping with the environmentally friendly themes of the store, there will also be a soft plastic recycling centre and a water bottle refill station.

There will be a more accessible car park, with 30 spaces and two electric car charging points to enable more footfall for the Lincolnshire Co-op.

| Photo: Lincolnshire Co-op

Manager Paula Jackson said: “The team and I are enjoying being in our new store and we’ve loved welcoming people in to see what it has to offer.

“We had some of our regulars outside just before 6am as they wanted to be the first customers! We have had some lovely comments.

“People like the variety we’re able to offer and the new services, like the freshly baked goods and the vegan range.

“We’ve seen new faces today as well and they have all been very positive too.”

| Photo: Lincolnshire Co-op

The two commercial units next door are under offer, and the Lakeside Fish Bar – which is currently on the Swanpool site – will move into one of the units this spring.

Once Swanpool is unoccupied, Lincolnshire Co-op will look to demolish the buildings and develop a plan for housing – though this process remains in early stages.

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