A NEW Morrisons shop will be opening on the site of the old Jack and Jenny pub tomorrow.
The Morrisons M local on Hatfield Road, Witham, will add 20 new jobs to the town's workforce and will be open from 6am to 11pm every day.
The grand opening will take place at 9am and performed by children from nearby Howbridge, Chipping Hill, and Holy Family primary schools.
The store will have meat and veg section plus a fresh coffee dispenser with pastries and bread.
The former Jack and Jenny pub has been empty since April 2013 and was bought by the supermarket giant to convert into an M Local store – similar to a Tesco Express or Sainsbury's Local.
Witham Town Council and residents who live near the site down Maltings Lane were strongly against the proposal and raised concerns about antisocial behaviour after Braintree District Council approved the same licencing hours for the shop as the pub had enjoyed.
Residents were also concerned about the possibility of increased traffic in the road from lorries and cars from customers.
The lights on the store were also a hot topic at a Braintree District Council meeting on May 13 when some councillors raised concerns about the brightness and amount of lights on the shop.
Councillors initially deferred a decision until clarity on the opening times could be given.
Morrisons have since announced that the store will open with on Thursday, June 27.
