THE mystery buyer behind a soon-to-close supermarket in St John's has been revealed.

Gladman Retirement Living, under Adlington Retirement Living, plan to transform the Co-op in St John's into a retirement village.

A spokesman for Gladman Retirement Living and Adlington Retirement Living said: "Gladman Retirement Living Ltd intend to submit a planning application for the redevelopment of the site in the coming months, with a pre-application public consultation with local residents and businesses due to be announced shortly.

"The proposal will be for retirement apartments with care, with a 24 hour staff presence and extensive communal facilities."

Councillor Richard Udall revealed the company has been in touch to say it will be submitting a planning application soon.

Cllr Udall along with fellow St John's councillors Matthew Lamb and Robyn Norfolk have been invited to speak with the developers.

The Co-op supermarket in The Bullring will be closing on Saturday, April 9 after 130 years in St John's.

Cllr Udall said: "It's good that we now finally know who we are dealing with.

"I hope and believe there is room for compromise.

"It's clear the majority of St John's residents and other traders do not want to lose the entire site to retail or lose the community use of the car park.

"I hope we can ensure that a percentage of the site, especially the road frontage, remains as shops and we can keep St John's as a commercial and a retail district. 

"We need new destination and specialist retail in St John's, this could create an opportunity to secure some retail space, attract new retailers and have a shared residential use.

"Although we are willing to discuss and compromise, we have our red lines.

"The preservation of St John's as a retail and a commercial centre, with shops,  is something we will defend."

A spokesperson for Co-op said: “Co-op is moving forward with a real purpose and momentum, and while this usually involves opening new stores, we also regularly review our existing locations and have to take these difficult decisions.

“The decision to close any store is not taken lightly, and only after careful consideration will our store in St John’s close on 9 April.

"This is in no way a reflection on the commitment and hard work of colleagues, who have been informed and who are being fully supported.

"We would like to thank the community for its support of this store over the years and, remain committed to serving our members and customers in Worcester from our stores locally and across the area.”