A foodstore which will create 250 jobs is on schedule to open in November.

Cambs Times: Topping out ceremony. New Tesco foodstore at Chatteris. Picture: Steve Williams.Topping out ceremony. New Tesco foodstore at Chatteris. Picture: Steve Williams. (Image: Archant)

The Tesco store, off the A141 Fenland Way at Chatteris, is being built by contractor R G Carter Projects on behalf of Dentan Williams, who will lease it to the supermarket giant for 25 years.

Yesterday, Fenland District Councillor Alex Miscandlon and Chatteris Town Councillor Terence Shad joined Liz Dent, of developer Dentan Williams, in a cherry picker for a topping out ceremony.

Other guests looked on as they were lifted eight metres in the air and poured Elgood’s beer over the edge.

Addressing the gathering afterwards Liz Dent, of developer Dentan Williams, said: “I would like to say thank you to everyone who has worked on the project and the people of Chatteris for putting up with the disruption.”

Recruitment for the store, which measures 31,000 square feet, will start shortly.

To make room for it, a stretch of the Twenty Foot Drain has been realigned and a new water course built.

A petrol station and Travis Perkins will also be built on the site, with discussions ongoing for another unnamed retailer to set up base there.

Ms Dent said: “Chatteris has got a quite large core population and is expanding, yet it’s not served by a big enough retailer, so people have to travel elsewhere. This store will serve the people of the town and keep them shopping locally.”

The development was welcomed by several councillors, who said it would provide a boost to the people of Chatteris.

Fenland District Councillor Florence Newell said: “A lot of people have to travel out of town to March, Huntingdon or Ely to do their shopping, so this store will be an asset.

“It will be easily accessible and create a lot of jobs as well.”

Cllr Shad added: “Here we have an easily accessible facility which we consider is long overdue. We welcome it, not only because it will benefit the people of Chatteris, but because of the jobs it will create.

“Chatteris is a growing town which every year is becoming a more and more important part of Cambridgeshire. This development will only enhance this.”