Denmead Co-op re-opening date confirmed following fire damage

The Co-op in Hambledon Road, Denmead will re-open on Wednesday, December 20 at 7am, almost four months since the store closed its doors after a fire broke out on Wednesday, August 23. As well as repairing the damage, they have also announced the store has been given a refresh in time for the pre-Christmas opening date.

Southern Co-operative COO, Simon Eastwood, said: "We are delighted to be re-opening our Denmead store on Wednesday 20 December, enabling us to once again serve the local community. We have taken the opportunity, alongside the repairs, to refresh the store experience and would like to thank all our colleagues and contractors for their work in getting the store open and ready for trading as quickly as possible. We thank our members and customers for their patience and hope that they enjoy the new store."

Local residents have been eagerly awaiting this news with elderly residents, and those with mobility issues, having to travel outside of the village in order to shop and utilise post office facilities. The Co-op has been running a free bus shuttle service three times a week to take residents to the Co-op store in Clanfield, five miles away.

The fire in August saw 45 emergency service personnel, including fire crews from across Hampshire, attend the scene to tackle the blaze which took over two hours to bring under control.