THE £1.5m extension of Somerfield is causing chaos for Corsham shoppers but it will all be worth it in the end, according to store manager Peter Dobin.

The framework for the extended building has just been put up and it will be a further six months before the expanded store is reopened.

Mr Dobin said the store was still open but the redevelopments were causing disruption. "The car park is as bad as it is ever going to get. And the staff have to wear hard hats when they go out the back door because it is a building site," he said.

The supermarket has also lost much of its warehouse space, so the size of the store has been reduced to create space to store the stock.

"There is disruption at the moment but it will all be well worth it in the end. The store will be more than twice as big and will have a much larger range of goods," said Mr Dobin.

The new look store will have extra lighting and fresh colours, giving it a bright, fresh and modern appearance.

"The precinct has always been seen as an eyesore, but we hope the new Somerfield will be more modern and as in keeping with the surroundings as it can be," said Mr Dobin.

The store will also be redesigned so that it is easier for customers to use. "We are going to have lower shelves so that customers can reach goods more easily. The aisles will also be wider and there will be more checkouts," Mr Dobin said.

During the redevelopment the store has lost its rotisserie counter and delicatessen but these will be reopened in September and will offer a much wider range.

Mr Dobin said the new supermarket was a very important development for the town. "We want to prevent people from going outside of Corsham to do their food shopping. It will be a great facility for Corsham shoppers and we really want to extend our fresh food and grocery section," he said.

At the moment many shoppers travel to Sainsbury's and Safeway in Chippenham because they are much bigger stores. "We need this extension to compete with other supermarkets. At the moment, customers use us as a top up shop but we want to attract weekly shoppers here," said the store manager.

The housing development at Pockeridge Farm means that great pressure will be put on local facilities and Somerfield is preparing to accommodate this. "We would not be able to cope with that development if we did not have this extension. It is so important for the town," Mr Dobin said.

Somerfield will be advertising for staff in local job centres and in the store over the next coming months.

The store will also be extending its opening hours and will be open later in the evenings.