The original scheme was that Tesco's were going to take this site, a scheme which resulted in a huge row among the shopkeepers who were already there and the villagers, some for, some against. Plus Tesco might have been thought, quite unfairly to my mind, to have been a bit common for Ashstead.
M&S, however, were not thought to be common, and their scheme went through. Involving, I believe, a number of flats (which may or may not be affordable) and this cod old style frontage, presumably deemed by the heritage crew to be in keeping with the rest of this parade. Needless to say, the building behind is perfectly ordinary concrete construction.
My bet, for what it is worth, is that this shop may well knock out a few convenience stores, but will also breathe a bit of life into the parade as a whole and will prove to be a good thing. What I believe retail consultants call an anchor. Whether it will be any good for basic groceries, such as red lentils and carrots, in the way of our Costcutter in Manor Green Road, is another matter.
Reference 1: https://www.costcutter.co.uk/location/9-15-MANOR-GREEN-ROAD-KT19-8RA/.
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