ASDA is planning to open a Foodstore at Solstice Park.

A public engagement exhibition was held on 11th May 2007 at The Baptist Centre, Amesbury. The event was extremely well supported with over 800 people showing their support for plans to build a new ASDA store in Amesbury. The location of the store is adjacent to a substantial residential area to the eastern part of Amesbury, direct pedestrian and cycle routes will link the store.

A planning application was submitted to Salisbury District Council on the 1st November 2007; the application includes highway improvements and alterations to the roundabout at the Junction of Porton Road and Sunrise Way, to increase its capacity.

The registered Planning application number is S/2007/2226, the application can be viewed here. Simply insert the above application number in the box provided.

The application was approved by Salisbury District Council's planning and regulatory committee in May 2008 and has since been called in by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

A Public Inquiry ran for 2 weeks in January 2009 and a final week in April 2009, at the Bowman Centre, Archer's Gate, Amesbury. The Inquiry was held by Mary O’Rourke, a Planning Inspector who was gathering evidence from all interested parties before making a recommendation to the Secretary of State, later in the year.

A decision is expected at the end of September 2009.