The Co-op is opening three new food stores and closing another in what is claimed to be part of a major expansion programme.

The supermarket chain plans to open new stores in Oxford, Didcot and Bicester.

But the store in the basement of Northgate House in Cornmarket Street, Oxford, is to cease trading in a few weeks.

Karen Webb, spokesman for the Oxford, Swindon and Gloucester Co-op, said the 60 staff who worked at Northgate House would be offered new positions within the society. She said: "There will not be any redundancies as staff there will be offered positions elsewhere.

"Details about how many new jobs will be created at the new stores and when the stores will be opening will be revealed shortly."

The Co-op branch, in Northcourt Road, Abingdon, will become a Budgens outlet, in exchange for a large Budgens store in Evesham, Worcestershire, which will now be run by the society.

In Summertown, Oxford, the society will be taking over Budgens in Banbury Road. In Didcot, a purpose-built store is to open at Milton Park, for people working at the business park.

In Bicester, a new 3,000sq ft convenience store will shortly open at Slade Farm where hundreds of new homes are being built.

The store will have four additional units which will be leased out to other traders. Bob Burlton, chief executive of the Oxford, Swindon and Gloucester Co-op, said: "This is a very exciting time for the society. In addition to the Oxfordshire developments we are also opening stores in Stow-on-the-Wold and Evesham, and our programme of refurbishment continues."

Mr Burlton said he regretted the closure of the Northgate House Co-op. He said it had poor access as it was in the basement and its warehousing was on the second floor.

Story date: Wednesday 03 November

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