PROSPECTIVE retailers or businesses who want to take over the Sainsbury’s building in Welshpool will be faced with an annual bill of £115,643 a year.

The supermarket giant stunned local residents earlier this year when it announced the Brook Street store would be shutting its doors in July, after almost two decades as a feature in the town.

And Cardiff-based property advisers Fletcher Morgan have now listed the 11,519 Sq Ft premises at nearly £10,000 a month.

“The subject property is located in a strong supporting location to the west of the town centre adjacent to High Street with prominent frontage to Brook Street,” a listing on the firm’s website reads.

“The subject property comprises a purpose-built supermarket arranged over ground floor sales area with lower ground floor storage/ancillary together with on-site car parking.”

Powys County Councillor and Welshpool town councillor Phil Pritchard said last week he hoped another retailer could be found for the site, and said Powys County Council would be doing everything it could to assist any potential retailers to move into the area.

Councillor Pritchard said it would be an “absolute disaster” if another retailer were not to take over the premises. “For a lot of people at that end of the town, Sainsburys has been a hell of a good employer and a hell of good thing in terms of looking after that area,” he said.

Diane Ashman, who runs Ashman's Antiques on the High Street, said the loss of the only large supermarket still operating in the middle of the town would be a “devastating” loss to residents nearby, many of whom would find the extra walk to Tesco or Morrisons difficult.

The announcement of Sainsbury’s departure is another tough blow to the town centre which has seen WH Smith depart this year, while HSBC is set to go in the autumn.

The supermarket chain announced in 2019 that it would be closing 15 stores over the next two years, and opening 10 more over the next five years.

The store, previously a Kwik Save, was opened by Eastenders' star Shaun Williamson in the early 2000's, but after a 20-year run in the town is now set to shut up shop on July 10.