£1.6 million transformation for filling station

A popular outlet in Whaplode will be transformed into a new-look facility for customers looking to fill their fuel tanks and shopping bags.

Lincolnshire Co-op is using £1.6 million of investment to redevelop its Whaplode Food Store and Filling Station on High Road.

The existing kiosk will be demolished and a larger 2,500 square foot food store built in its place, (pictured) complete with extra facilities including a Costa Coffee machine and hot food-to-go. The forecourt, fuel pumps and canopy will also all be replaced as part of the work, and a traffic island on High Road will also be moved slightly further down the road.

The site will close for a number of months to allow for the redevelopment. It will stop trading at 9pm on Saturday 28^th April and reopen in early 2019.

Lincolnshire Co-op’s Store Development Manager Matt Wilkinson said: “We’re excited to be transforming our Whaplode Food Store and Filling Station into a fresh and modern facility for our customers and members in the area, and our colleagues in the team.

“There’s a long list of work to do which unfortunately requires us to close the site for a number of months, and we’re sorry for the inconvenience this may cause. We’ve relocated all 10 of our colleagues at the site to our other outlets so they can continue to work during this time.

“We know lots of people in Whaplode rely on our valued services, and so we’ve made special arrangements to help customers reach our nearby Holbeach Food Store by bus with no need to worry about fares.

“Once finished the food store and filling station will be sure to impress, and we can’t wait to see the results.”

There is an Interconnect 505 bus service which will pick up passengers from Middle Road in Whaplode and stop directly outside Lincolnshire Co-op’s Holbeach Food Store on Fleet Street.

From Sunday 29th April, customers who travel on this service to Holbeach Food Store and spend more than the value of their ticket will have their fare refunded in full.

On showing their bus ticket at the tills, they’ll be reimbursed in cash or have the money taken off the total of their shopping, up to a full fare of £2.90. Tickets must show the same date as that day’s trip, and some restrictions to goods apply*.

Holbeach Food Store is part Lincolnshire Co-op’s community hub in Holbeach, which also contains a pharmacy, post office and volunteer-run community library.

* The following purchases are excluded: lottery tickets and scratch cards, cigarettes and tobacco, e-cigarettes and e-liquids, PayPort and Paystation.