THE former livestock market and slaughterhouse buildings in Abergavenny have been demolished to make way for a supermarket.

We reported in March that preliminary work on the site had begun in preparation for a 25,000 sq ft Morrisons supermarket.

Morrisons was chosen as the preferred developer to build a multi-million scheme on the site as part of the re-development of the livestock market, following the collapse of the £11million deal by Henry Boot Ltd to bring Asda to the town in 2010.

The store will sell only a very modest non-food range and include a café, 289 parking spaces and create 280 new jobs.

Monmouthshire council has held onto a small portion of the site to build a new library for the town.

The stone work from the slaughterhouse buildings will be incorporated into the store and boundary wall on Park Road.

A spokeswoman for Morrisons said the national food retailer had taken a ‘conscious decision’ to start the demolition so that it would be finished before the start of the bird breeding season but added that no date for the store’s opening has been set.

She said: “This would have impacted on any works and also for site safety reasons. The required works have been undertaken and for the moment we do not have a date for construction to start.”

Morrisons will spend £350,000 on improvements, £300,000 will be spent on Lion Street as part of the planning consent agreement with Monmouthshire council, landscaping and creating additional bus services.

The cash could also be spent on street furniture, improvements to Bailey Park and £10,000 towards artwork in Lion Street.

Other works include improvements to the junctions of Park Road and linking to the town centre from the Brewery Yard to Fairfield Car Park.

The 150 year-old market was relocated to a £5million site at Bryngwyn, near Raglan.