Asda Creates 300 Jobs in Airdrie, Lanarkshire

A new £15m supermarket expansion is set to generate 300 jobs in Airdrie, Lanarkshire.
Asda has been given planning permission by North Lanarkshire Council to build a new outlet and petrol station on the site of former Distillers, next to Airdrie FC’s Stadium.

The development, which is also set to develop local access routes by realigning road junctions in the area, was given the green light by councillors last month.

The local support group, Action for Asda, had collected over 600 signatures and 100 letters of support in favour of the plans in the early stages of the application, as well as a consensus backing from most local businesses.

Asda is the UK’s second-largest food retailer following Tesco. The company intends to open a further 12 stores across the country in 2013, creating over 2,500 jobs. Three of the proposed stores will be in Scotland, one of which is planned in Larkhall in South Lanarkshire.

Asda already have an outlet in the adjacent town of Coatbridge. The site, which is the main heart for the town’s precinct, is a well-known employer in the town. The company has given reassurance that the new expansion will not impact on this established outlet.

With planning permission now in place, construction work is likely to begin in early 2014.