US pizza giant opens a new outlet in South Derbyshire town high street

AMERICAN pizza giant Papa John’s has opened a new store in Swadlincote town centre.

Signs for the new store in Swadlincote High Street had already gone up and the shop was due to open yesterday.

Papa John’s, based in the US, also has stores in Allenton, Allestree, Stapenhill, Uttoxeter and Tamworth with more than 450 across the UK.

In July, the firm, one of the largest pizza chains in the world, submitted plans for another store in Nottingham Road, Chaddesden, to Derby City Council. That venture is set to create 20 jobs.

Papa John’s was contacted to request information on the Swadlincote store but did not respond.

South Derbyshire District Council planning officers, discussing applications for signs and extraction flues over the summer, said: “The site is within the Swadlincote Conservation area and there is the potential to have a detrimental impact on the significance of the heritage asset.

“The building underwent a significant transformation from its former iteration as the British Heart Foundation shop. A new shop front was installed which introduced a more traditional Victorian style shop front.”

They also said the new business would “facilitate a new use of a retail unit that would also retain the historic character of the area on an important property”.

A licensing application in the shop’s window says it has applied to remain open until midnight, Sunday through to Thursday and until 3am on Fridays and Saturdays (early Saturday and early Sunday morning).