A CARDIGAN Christian group will take over the town’s former Co-op supermarket after a deal was struck to buy it.

The supermarket has lain empty since Budgens pulled out last year and staff at The New Life Christian Centre - run by the New Life Church - hatched a plan to take it over, saying they have outgrown their Quay Street premises due to the rising demand for the Cardigan Foodbank which they operate.

The former supermarket was sold through Christie & Co with a guide price of £700,000 this week to The Cornerstone Works, a Christian charity in the West Midlands, who said it will be leasing the site to New Life Christian Centre - bringing its ambitious plans to fruition.

In May, county planners gave the green light for the centre to take over the supermarket, with plans including community spaces, a cinema room, and an expanded foodbank operation in the 7,580 sq ft building.

Finalising the deal to take over the building has seen delays, with negotiations ongoing since last year.

Former owner Sneh Patel of Sabretown Properties Limited said that there had “been many hurdles along the way and with the process, although everybody got the best result in the end.”

“I would like to wish the New Life Christian Centre all the best for their future plans and hope they have many happy years there,” Mrs Patel said.

Nick Houghton of The Cornerstone Works said the plans would “help provide a new church centre with many community facilities".

Read the full story in next week’s Cambrian News, on sale on Wednesday