CIVIC leaders in Wallingford are still seeking a second supermarket chain for the town after plans were announced to demolish the former Waitrose store and replace it with retirement flats.

Waitrose moved from its base in St Martin's Street in 2005 to a new location at the other end of the street.

But the old site remained empty over the past decade and the town council was never able to attract a rival discount chain to open there.

Now property developer Beechcroft Developments has proposed demolishing the former store and turning it into 22 retirement flats, two shops and 24 parking spaces.

Developers met Wallingford town councillors in January to outline the plans and the designs are due to go on display in a public consultation at the Regal Centre on Friday, March 11.

Town mayor Lynda Atkins said: "We have been looking for the right solution for this site for a long time and I think this goes a long way towards that.

"It would certainly be progress of a kind and I was very encouraged by the briefing given to us by developers.

"No planning application has been submitted yet and we hope to see more details when the plans are put forward for public consultation.

"The site is quite large and I think it's good news that so many parking spaces are being suggested.

"The flats and shops will bring life back to that part of the town centre.

"We don't want to freeze out younger families but I think this would be a suitable location for retirement flats."

Beechcroft Developments, based in Church Lane, acquired the site last year from London-based City and Provincial Properties.

If a planning application is approved by South Oxfordshire District Council work could start before the end of the year.

Morrisons was given planning permission in 2013 for a new 30,000 sq ft store on the Hithercroft industrial estate, but did not go ahead with construction and the Lupton Road site went back on the market last year.

Ms Atkins added: "Shoppers in Wallingford do want a second supermarket chain to come to the town - not everyone can afford to shop at Waitrose all the time.

"If there was an alternative they would not have to drive to Didcot to shop at Aldi, Tesco or Sainsbury's.

"A Lidl or an Aldi on the site where Morrisons was going to be would be brilliant.

"It's not right in the town centre but it's not that far away either."

Town councillor Ros Lester said she was impressed by the Beechcroft proposals.

She added: "It's the best solution so far - we have had to put up with an empty building for far too long."

Mrs Lester said she also wanted to see a rival supermarket chain to Waitrose on the Hithercroft site.

She added: "The town centre needs more shops too - like Next and Fat Face because there's not much for children and teenagers."

Father-of-three Alistair Cox, 44, a co-director of Howard Chadwick funeral parlour in Crowmarsh Gifford, said: "Wallingford definitely needs a rival supermarket chain to Waitrose.

"I drive across to Didcot Aldi once a week for the family shop I'm sure a lot of other families do the same to keep the bills down."

No one from Beechcroft Developments was available for comment.