A FORMER supermarket site is being offered to ‘national’ retailers on a short-term one-year lease, the Guardian can reveal.

The former Co-operative Food store in Chester Way, Northwich, closed on May 21, 2016.

The site has been listed on the market for more than 12 months, but a new tenant has not yet been found.

Peter Burke, retail director of Mason Owen property consultants, said: “We do have somebody looking at it at the minute, to come in as a temporary occupier.

“If somebody wants to try it out for a year, if they can afford the rates and rent then they can come in and try it out.”

Mr Burke revealed the site has been offered to a number of national retailers, but said the property’s high business rates, coupled with its high rent has made it a tough sell.

He said any new tenant must pay around £2,500 per week in business rates alone, on top of around £5,000 rent per week.

Currently the site is listed on primelocation.com for £243,979 per annum.

Mr Burke said the site is now being offered on a short-term basis in an attempt to find a tenant as quickly as possible.

He said: “As far as we’re concerned we just want someone in there.

“We have got somebody looking at it so hopefully we will be able to sort something out soon.”

Mr Burke said developments in the town in recent years have affected the site as a desirable location.

He pointed to the opening of Asda in Barons Quay as part of the reason it is proving difficult to find a new tenant.

“Since the building has been built, there has been a Waitrose, an Asda and a new Aldi,” Mr Burke said.

“There has got to be a bit of give somewhere.”

Mr Burke also lamented the controversial gyratory system that was built in 2014.

He said: “The one way system makes it difficult for people to come out, it doesn’t help.”

Before it closed the store employed 21 full or part-time staff.

The store’s closure came just six months after it began enforcing limited free parking to free up spaces for its customers after complaints about all-day parkers.