Asda developmentto generate 600much-needed jobs

A NEW Asda development in Bulwell, which will create 600 jobs and is the largest industrial deal seen in Nottingham this year, has been welcomed by councillors.

The supermarket giant is planning to open a 120,000 square foot grocery home-shopping centre in the town, which has high rates of unemployment.

Situated on the former Clearway Distribution Centre on Firth Way on the Blenheim Industrial estate, the centre will see jobs created across a wide range of roles in both shopfloor and back-office functions, including personal delivery drivers, as well as roles focused on spending time in the local community.

Richard Jackson, general store manager at the new Asda centre, said: “Our new home shopping centre will help us to keep up with our customers’ demands to shop where and when is convenient to them, as well as creating hundreds of jobs in Nottingham.”

Jobs on offer will include a variety of shift patterns with recruitment starting next month ahead of the opening planned for next March.

Welcoming the new development, which is due to open in March 2013, Coun Ginny Klein (Lab), who represents Bulwell at Nottingham City Council, said: “I am glad to see some job opportunities coming to Bulwell, especially in view of the current economic climate.”

And Bulwell Labour MP Graham Allen added: “Six hundred jobs in Bulwell is indeed excellent news. I shall be urging Asda to recruit locally and in particular to recruit youngsters.

“Youth unemployment in my constituency runs at twice the national average and figures out this week suggest that the number of youngsters out of work locally has tripled over the last five years.

“On the traffic front I shall be asking for a firm travel to work policy and request that the lorries are routed in and out via the main roads to avoid residential areas.

“Hopefully developments such as this are a sign of things to come.

“Nottingham North and Hucknall are both well connected for transport with the M1 being close. We enjoy excellent links to Nottingham via both light and heavy rail.

“The investment into Nottingham with Ring Road improvements, further extensions to the tram, £150 million being invested on the railways and the A453 at last being dualled should see big firms investing in the region.

“We’re open for business!”