In February people in First Tower, who were against the closure of the Checkers Xpress store in St Aubin’s Inner Road, submitted a petition with more than 1,000 signatures to the bailiwicks’ competition regulator asking them to allow it to remain open. It was organised by Tim Barrass and backed by the First Tower Community Association.
The store’s owner, SandpiperCI, had been told by CICRA to either sell the freehold of the premises or lease it to another business, as a condition of being allowed to add the Island’s Costcutter convenience shops to its retail portfolio.
Residents – who said the store was a vital hub in their community – banded together with SandpiperCI, which also wanted to keep the store open. Until a final decision on the store’s future was made, it has remained open.
Last week CICRA announced that it had decided to defer to public opinion and allow the store to remain open.
‘We have listened very carefully to what residents have told us and we believe it is in the best interests of the First Tower community to release Sandpiper from their commitment to sell Checkers Xpress, and to keep this store open,’ the authorities’s director, Sarah Livestro, said.
‘We would like to thank everyone who took the time to respond to our consultation, which was a necessary part of the process in reaching our final decision.’
A spokesman for SandpiperCI said the retailer was looking forward to carrying on serving
the First Tower community.
‘Following considerable customer feedback, Sandpiper approached CICRA at the end of last year to seek permission from the regulator to allow our First Tower store to continue trading, despite the lack of competition in the area,’ he said.
‘Following their own lengthy research, we are pleased that CICRA has finally reached the same conclusion.’
