Plans for European grocery store to open at Wiltshire shopping centre

Retailer Shahram Ebraheme has applied to Trowbridge Town Council for a premises licence to sell alcohol.

He plans to open the new mini-market convenience store at Unit 32 to the right-hand side of the Castle Place front entrance.

The unit is the old McColls convenience store in Market Street which closed in 2022 following the Morrisons takeover.

The premises licence application notice pasted on the door of Unit 32 at Castle Place. (Image: Trevor Porter)

In his application, Mr Ebraheme, who was born in Iran, says he wants the premises licence to become effective from Sunday, September 29.

He is planning to open a large retail shop trading as a European grocery store on one of the main roads in the town centre.

Castle Place owner Tahir Ali said the new store is “one step in the right direction” for the shopping centre.

“It is good news. At least he has got his premises licence and that has got to be good.”

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Mr Ali is working on other deals which he says are close to fruition but there’s nothing he can disclose at present.

Mr Ebraheme is one of the first retailers to take one of the vacant units at Castle Place following the £534,000 sale in February this year.

He has applied for a premises licence to sell alcohol at the mini-market to open from 6am to 2am Sunday to Saturday.

The shop will sell dry goods, soft drinks and beers, as well as spirits, which will be stored behind the counter.

Mr Ebraheme says he will operate the Challenge 25 scheme, whereby anyone aged 25 and under will have to provide proof of age identification.

Trowbridge Town Council leader Cllr Stewart Palmen said: “We were in favour of the application. I must say I would have been happy if it had been 24 hours.”

Mr Ebraheme plans to install CCTV cameras to identify anyone who steals items. When closed, the premises will be protected by roller shutters.

He is hoping to attract other new tenants to 70,469 sq ft covered shopping centre built in the mid-1970s.

There are a variety of units on offer ranging from 200 sq ft to over 20,000 sq ft.  They can be interconnected or sub-divided as required.

The commercial agents for Castle Place, Simon Brickell, of Brockhurst Property Management in Corsham.

James Gregory, of Alder King, is handling national enquiries from prospective tenants.