A new milestone has been marked in the ongoing regeneration of Whitehill & Bordon Town Centre with ground being broken on the new Sainsbury’s store.

The start of work on the new 16,000 sq. store at Bordon, in Hampshire, is the latest step forward in the major redevelopment of the former Army site, which has already seen the delivery of 2,400 new homes by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and its development partners.

The new supermarket is expected to bring around 75 jobs to the area and will welcome its first customers in summer 2026. The start of the project was celebrated by key stakeholders involved in the regeneration of Whitehill & Bordon, who were joined by members of the local community, dignitaries and local business owners for an official groundbreaking ceremony.

The new supermarket will be the cornerstone of the emerging town centre, and the start of works marks a significant milestone for the regeneration project, the pace of which is accelerating due to a recently-formed local taskforce. Plans are rapidly progressing for the town’s new Health Hub and construction of this key town centre facility will follow the completion of Sainsbury’s. Meanwhile upgrades to dining and entertainment space The Shed have recently been completed, revitalising the longest standing feature of the new town centre. 

Robert Smith, DIO Deputy Head of Major Disposals commented:

The start of works on this new supermarket is an important moment in our plans to transform this site into a thriving new town centre. The regeneration of Whitehill & Bordon is a great example of how, through strong partnership working, we can make the best use of surplus public land to benefit local communities.

James Child, Project Lead at The Whitehill & Bordon Regeneration Company, commented:

We are absolutely delighted to get construction under way and welcome Sainsbury’s to Whitehill & Bordon. 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 & MD of Smart Charge, commented:

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 fantastic project to bring the new store to life in the coming months.

Cllr Andy Tree, EHDC Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Whitehill & Bordon Area, and Leader of Whitehill Town Council, commented: 

Having announced they were coming to Whitehill & Bordon in 2024, I am delighted to celebrate the start of the building work by taking part on 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. Thank you to all those who work behind the scenes who have driven this project to fruition.