WALLINGFORD’S former Waitrose store is finally up for sale, but the district council has abandoned its attempt to redevelop the site.

The 20,000 sq ft site in St Martin’s Street has been empty for four years since the supermarket moved to new premises further up the road.

It has continued to lease the property, but that deal ends on Christmas Day and owner the Co-op Property Group has put the site on the market.

Although the sale of the freehold could open the way for major redevelopment of the area, transforming part of Wallingford’s town centre, South Oxfordshire District Council said it had now scrapped a regeneration project that it was promoting as the way forward just a year ago.

Last year, the council commissioned architects to produce four potential designs for the store and its surrounding area, including land owned by the Co-op, Waitrose, Pilton Land Ltd, and the town and district councils.

Although never released to the public, the designs included a new flagship store, smaller shops, housing and a new community building to replace the Regal Centre.

However, the council concluded the plans were not viable after a feasibility study was presented in July.

This week it said nothing had changed that conclusion — despite the site now becoming available to buy. District council spokesman Victoria Buckett-Hipgrave said: “It got to a point where it wasn’t viable for us to get involved in and I don’t think anything else is being done on this. The line has been pretty much drawn under this now.

“Obviously we would like to see somebody take it up and bring it back to life, but as far as we’re concerned, I don’t think this changes anything.”

The council said it would continue to monitor developments and consult other landowners.

Waitrose moved to its new store in 2005.

Since then, traders around the old shop have complained that business has suffered because of the lack of a key store to attract shoppers.

Town councillor Bernard Stone said: “It would be very nice to see a more comprehensive redevelopment, but we would welcome any retail going in there to revitalise that end of town.

“At the moment, it’s all very uncertain.”

Co-op Property Group spokesman Phil Edwards said: “There is nothing definite to report in terms of buyers yet.

“It is a well-placed store in a number of ways, and it will be attracting interest very shortly.

“We are looking to sell it as a freehold, but if anyone approached us with different ideas, we would be at least prepared to consider them.”