Food giant to move into abandoned store

Iceland’s new Food Warehouse store is lining up to open in Ayr.

The food giant plans to move into the old Homebase shop at the Heathfield Retail Park.

Home Bargains could also occupy the large empty unit, according to documents lodged with South Ayrshire Council.

Fast- growing Home Bargains sells budget toys, household and beauty products, among other goods. The Food Warehouse has a bigger grocery choice than Iceland as well as bulk buys.

A planning statement said: “The proposal is not speculative. Unit 1b will be occupied by Food Warehouse.”

The plot is too big for only one shop, according to Heathfield Retail Park operators Ediston.

The document added: “The prospects of securing a bulky goods retailer to occupy the whole unit are extremely limited.

“Sub- division of the unit is the only viable option to secure tenants.”

Ediston is waiting for a decision from the council on whether food can be sold from the space.

The firm has also applied to allow homeware goods to be offered at the plot as part of the Home Bargains proposal, which has yet to be decided.

Home Bargains would take up a floorspace of 20,000 square feet and the Food Warehouse would span 14,790 square feet.

Ayr Central owners M& G Real Estate objected to the proposals to alter premises conditions at Heathfield.

A supporting statement on the Food Warehouse plan dismissed the shopping centre as a possibility.

It claimed that “Ayr Central has no units available that could accommodate the proposal.”

The document also ruled out the former BHS site on Ayr High Street and the Kyle Centre. It said: “The former BHS unit is the only unit available with any sizeable floorspace but this is too large and would require significant redevelopment and sub- division to create a potential unit that may be suitable to the occupier.”

Wren Kitchens is a recent addition to Heathfield, along with Poundland.