FAQs about our new Sturton by Stow food store

Our new Sturton by Stow store is set to open its doors on Thursday 12th December.

We held an information evening in November for local residents to find out more about the store and the history behind the site, which was formerly The Red Lion pub.

Here’s answers to some questions we’ve been asked about the new store:

Q: Why didn’t you adapt the former pub – it was a historic building.

A: The old pub had been in disuse since 2015 and had original planning consent to turn it into housing.

We worked closely with Lincolnshire County Council’s historic places team to ensure features in the former pub had been appropriately assessed and recorded before construction.

The site had been in disuse for a while and we tried to preserve historic beams in the roof. Unfortunately, they had dry rot and could not be used in a new building. Despite this, we’ve been able to upcycle them and make some benches that sit outside the store.

This new purpose-built store will improve the street scene and bring the site back into economic use for the foreseeable future.

Q: What other environmental elements will there be?

A: Rather than install solar panels we invest in more substantial building materials such as ground, wall and roof insulation which gives us a better result on energy performance as well as return on our investment.

We’ve implemented an environmentally-friendly sedum roof covered with vegetation which absorbs rain rather than it going down the water system.

A range of other eco measures are also in place including a smart building management system to decrease energy use, fridge doors that reduce energy consumption by around 20%, LED lights and a C02 refrigeration system which has a lower global-warming impact compared to those using traditional chemical gases.

Q: What traffic management system will you have in the car park for customers and deliveries?

A: After assessing the area and using experience from previous store traffic management systems, we will be implementing a single entry and exit access from Saxilby Road.

We understand deliveries to stores can sometimes disrupt customers which is why they will not be using space in the car park. There is a service area at the rear of the building which will allow delivery vehicles to park and unload.  

To support cyclists, we have also installed six cycle hoops.

For now, there are no parking restrictions at the site as there are 23 spaces, which we believe is plenty for all our customers.

Q: Why isn’t there a pedestrian crossing near the store? It’s on the A1500 which is a major road.

A: We’ve been working closely with Lincolnshire County Council’s highways team to put in dropped curbs from the store to the Plough Pub and further along Sturton Road from one side to the other.

Q: Will there be a post office on the site?

A: Although there will be no post office, we understand there is a mobile service in the village once a week and three times a week in Stow Minster. There is also one of our own post offices in nearby Saxilby (LINK TO: https://www.lincolnshire.coop/branches/post-offices/saxilby-post-office) only a ten minute drive away with easy public transport links.

Q: Will there be a free-to-use ATM at the store?

A: Our new store has a whole range of services available for the community including groceries, baked goods from our Gadsby’s Bakery, food-to-go options, chilled beers and wines, takeaway Costa Coffee and a free-to-use ATM.

Q: Can I use my dividend card and how do I sign up if I don’t have one?

A: You can use your Lincolnshire Co-op dividend card at this store as well as our other local Lincolnshire Co-op outlets in Saxilby, Gainsborough and in Lincoln.

To sign up and start claiming dividend points when you shop with us go to our membership page.