Bilton’s McColl’s to rebrand as Morrisons Daily

McColl’s convenience store on King Edward’s Drive in Bilton will rebrand as a Morrisons Daily later this month.

The store will close today and reopen on Thursday next week following a refit.

It will still be owned and operated by McColl’s but will include Morrisons items.

In March, Morrisons announced it had extended its wholesale partnership with McColl’s as part of an agreement to convert more of its stores to the Morrisons Daily format.

Under the deal, 300 McColl’s branches will be converted to Morrisons Daily stores by 2027.

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McColl’s chief executive Jonathan Miller said:

“I am delighted to extend our partnership with Morrisons, ensuring the continued supply of a supermarket-quality offer across our entire estate, as well as the planned conversion of additional Morrisons Daily stores.

“In Morrisons we retain a long-term partner with best-in-class sourcing and manufacturing capabilities and a leading convenience offer for the local neighbourhood communities we serve across the country.”

 

Calls for action on ‘eyesore’ Starbeck building

A Starbeck business owner has called for urgent action on a derelict high street building that he says is damaging the image of the area.

A fire ripped through the former McColl’s supermarket in July 2018, but almost three years later, the Victorian-era building is still a burned-out shell with much of its roof missing.

Andrew Hart is the owner of Starbeck’s Post Office which stands opposite the building. He said he has grown frustrated with progress to refurbish it and said it’s holding the wider area back from redevelopment.

He said:

“Anyone driving to Knaresborough or visiting Starbeck are looking at this great eyesore. It’s a shambles.”

“We are being rejuvenated in Starbeck with new shops and bars opening but this is putting off investment.”

Mr Hart said the building reminds him of a World War II bomb site and has become “the disgrace of Starbeck”.

He added:

“We have customers coming to the post office who say the building looks disgusting. It’s having a detrimental impact on my business.”

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Mr Hart called on Liberal Democrat councillor for Starbeck, Philip Broadbank, to push the landlord of the building to submit redevelopment plans.

Cllr Broadbank told the Stray Ferret that pre-application talks between the landlord and Harrogate Borough Council took place last week.

He said architect drawings involve creating new retail space on the ground floor and flats above it.

He said:

“I’ve been in discussions with planning enforcement at Harrogate Borough Council if the plans don’t progress. This would involve tidying the site up so it looks better.”

Cllr Broadbank expects a formal planning application to be submitted by the landlord imminently.

Claims Harrogate McColl’s worker with covid symptoms was told to work

A Harrogate McColl’s store has been forced to close after the manager allegedly told a staff member who had coronavirus symptoms to work.

Peter Lythe booked a coronavirus test after experiencing symptoms and claims he told his boss at the King Edward’s Drive store on Saturday ahead of a shift.

In text messages, seen by the Stray Ferret, Mr Lythe said told his manager that he “might have to isolate from today [until] my tests comes back.”

The manager replied: “You don’t unless you’ve had a text message.”

After being unable to find cover for his Saturday or Sunday shifts Mr Lythe reluctantly went into work.

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On Sunday evening at around 7pm, Mr Lythe received a positive coronavirus test result which told him to self-isolate for 10 days.

The next day the McColl’s store closed and put a sign in the window to say that it would re-open as soon as possible.

We approached North Yorkshire Police, Harrogate Borough Council and McColl’s with a request for comment.

The police and council decline to comment but a spokesperson for McColl’s told the Stray Ferret:

“We can confirm that our store on King Edward’s Drive, Harrogate, has been closed since Monday after a colleague tested positive for coronavirus.

“Following the store’s closure, we conducted a deep clean in line with the latest health and safety standards, and all colleagues are following isolation guidelines.”

“The health, safety and wellbeing of our colleagues and customers remains our absolute priority during his time.

“We continue to proactively follow Public Health England guidelines and keep our protocols under constant review.”

The McColl’s store is due to reopen on today after a deep clean.