A new milestone has been marked for regeneration of Whitehill & Bordon Town Centre after ground was broken on the new Sainsbury’s store.

Last week, key stakeholders from Whitehill Town Council put on their hi-vis jackets and hard hats to celebrate the start of construction for a new supermarket.

The new 16,000 sq ft Sainsbury’s is expected to bring around 75 jobs to the area and will welcome its first customers in summer 2026.

James Child, project lead at The Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company, said: “This is a significant milestone for the regeneration of the town centre and a lot of people have worked incredibly hard to get us to this point.

“Not only does this milestone mark the beginning of a busy and productive period of development for the town centre, it also brings the quality and convenience of a much-loved supermarket brand to the heart of our local community.”

Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s chief property and procurement officer and managing director of Smart Charge, said "It’s fantastic to be celebrating the start of construction of our new Sainsbury’s supermarket at the heart of Whitehill & Bordon’s growing town centre.

“This is a really exciting moment for us and we look forward to working with everyone involved in this project to bring the new store to life in the coming months.”

Cllr Andy Tree, leader of Whitehill Town Council, said: "Having announced they were coming to Whitehill & Bordon in 2024, I am delighted to celebrate the start of the building work by taking part in the breaking ground ceremony.

“I look forward to welcoming Sainsbury’s to Whitehill & Bordon when the store opens, including the Argos click & collect. Fellow local residents want to see delivery of facilities and this is a very positive step forward.”