WHAT was once a supermarket in the heart of Shaftesbury is now a vacant building up for auction, with a guide price of more than £500,000.

The building on Bell Street that had once been a Co-operative store, a Budgens and a Somerfield can now be viewed on the Clive Emson Land and Property Auctioneers website.

On the page advertising the empty property it says: “The historic market town of Shaftesbury is situated around 20 miles south-west of Salisbury and around 25 miles east of Yeovil.

“The subject property is something of a landmark in the town, being situated close to the High Street and adjacent to the main public car parks in the centre of the town.

“The building was most recently in use as a supermarket for the Co-operative Group who have, we understand, relocated to a larger out-of-town site.”

The Journal understands that the property has remained unused since 2017, and since then potential buyers have previously expressed interest in securing the premises, including a steering group in collaboration with Shaftesbury Town Council.

The guide price for this space, an indication of the minimum sum the seller is expecting, is between £580,000 and £620,000. The interior is still set out in a traditional supermarket format.

The online auction will be taking place on Wednesday, February 10.

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