SAINSBURY’S 615,000 sq ft new Basingstoke depot is officially open.

Presiding over the opening ceremony was director of logistics Chris Marrow with truck driver Jim Parker, who cut the ribbon declaring the site open.

The state-of-the-art depot, built in three phases over three years, has cost £100million and replaced the original distribution warehouse complex on Houndmills Road, which opened in 1964.

The project has created 150 new jobs, bringing the total at the depot to 850.

Mr Marrow told a gathering of colleagues from across the depot how delighted he was that the project is now complete and that the site had remained operational throughout the process.

He said: “As always, logistics have executed the three phases very well. It’s been a fantastic project.

“What is outstanding is the way that we have worked with all the different areas of the business to deliver this.

“Gone are the days, from a logistics point of view, when we just threw an amount of money and just build a depot somewhere.

“The integration we got with the wide business is absolutely phenomenal and that is down to you guys.

“You made that happen.”

Mr Marrow added: “I think this is credit to all of the workers over the years.”

Mr Parker, who has worked at the depot for 40 years – 33 years of which as a lorry driver and more recently as a shunter, told colleagues: “It’s a privilege and a great honour to open this site – it wasn’t expected.

“I think everyone enjoys working here – I have enjoyed working here and what can I say – you’ve picked a driver – thank you very much.”

Mr Parker later said he originally started work at the old depot as a stopgap job in 1975, when his mother and father worked at the site, initially working on a production line.

However, Mr Parker stayed on and said he has enjoyed the four decades he has worked for the company.

“It’s a company with opportunities and it’s a good place to work,” said Mr Parker.

The huge gleaming white depot has been built in line with Sainsbury’s 20x20 sustainability targets, the new depot includes a range of environmental features, including LED light fittings, rainwater harvesting on the roof plus car charging points in the colleague car park. The facility will also recycle or put to positive use all its general waste.