Farmfoods has announced it will close its Sutton branch after its landlord intends to redevelop the site.

The popular frozen food supermarket has been a staple in the town centre for over a decade.

Staff at the branch on 4 Lodge Place have been told the store will close on October 5 and that they are facing redundancy as a result. The store has recently run a discount sale in the run-up to closure.

When approached for comment, Alistair Kay, Property Director at Farmfoods Limited, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “I confirm our Sutton shop will close on Saturday, 5 October following a 50% off all stock closing sale.

“The closure is due to our landlord intending to redevelop the land the building sits on. No other Farmfoods shops are affected. We’re grateful to all our customers for their loyalty shopping with us at the site over the years and will continue to look for suitable opportunities to reopen in Sutton in future.”

How the Chalk Farm development will lookHow the Chalk Farm development will look (Image: St George)

The site sits just off the bottom of Sutton High Street and is well connected by bus and the train station which sits at the top of the high street. In recent years, Sutton has seen extensive redevelopment with many former office blocks and vacant units near the station being transformed into housing.

Planning permission was granted last December for a massive housing complex to be built on the B&Q site at the top of Sutton. Once complete, the development could see 2,500 new residents move into the area.

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Many residents have taken to a local Facebook group to decry the imminent closure of the Farmfoods store. Many see it as yet another example of how Sutton is changing to accommodate more housing.

One Facebook user, Zoe Climie, commented: “Farmfoods is great for families on a budget. I love their deals and [there are] hardly any Farmfoods [shops locally], such a shame.”

Another, Janet Recknell-Turner, said: “I hope they open somewhere in the high street. I use them a lot, obviously, more flats are being built there!”