It has been confirmed that the Co-op will be opening a new store in the island.

Marown Commissioners revealed the firm behind a development on the former Ballaglonney Farm, Crosby, have signed a contract with the supermarket chain to operate in one of two retail units.

According to the commissioners, the store could be in operation ’possibly’ by late summer. It will be the 11th outlet for the Co-op on the island.

In 2015, JM Developers submitted plans to build an estate consisting of 28 houses and two retail spaces. Another five applications with revisions were made in the following three years.

Since the construction industry reopened, managing director John Lovelady said ’progress has been slow’.

He added: ’Normally, we have three or four trades in a house at time, but covid-19 restrictions mean we can only have one.’

Mr Lovelady said the other vacant unit ’lends itself to a cafe’ due to the estate’s ’picturesque setting’, and said he was open to applications from interested parties.

The site for the new Co-op store, which is just under 500 square metres, comes with a manager’s office, staff room, three public toilets and a service yard for deliveries and storage.

Plans also incorporate 33 car parking spaces for the retail area.

Commissioners as well as residents strongly opposed the development, having fought ’long and hard against it’, according to chairman Alison Lynch.

She said: ’One of our big concerns was the traffic coming out on to the very busy A1 road, but the highways division don’t see a problem.’

Traffic counts conducted in the village during September 2019, revealed a total of 64,000 vehicles travelled through Crosby in a week - an average of 80% were speeding.