A student union is ‘confident’ that the future closure of a city-centre supermarket will not hinder students broadly.

The Tesco supermarket in Carlisle City Centre, by Victoria Viaduct, will close this year.

A Tesco spokesperson said in June when the news broke: “We have taken the difficult decision to close our Carlisle Victoria Viaduct store later this year.

"We serve a fantastic community in Carlisle and remain committed to the town. We are actively working on plans to open a new Express store locally. 

“Our priority over the coming months is to support our colleagues that are affected.

“Wherever possible we will offer them alternative jobs within Tesco.”

The store is one of only a few places to get groceries in the city centre, save for M&S, which is hardly student-friendly pricewise.

More students are set to come to Carlisle as the new Citadel campus developments get completed, bringing a new campus very near to where the Tesco currently is and, at the time, will have been.

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Alternatives include Asda on London Road and Morrisons on Kingstown Road, a bit out of the way from the city centre.

Although bus services go to these supermarkets, it’s an added cost for students who don’t want to walk with their shopping very far.

However, the University of Cumbria Student Union (USCU) is confident that students will not be greatly affected negatively by this closure.

Annabelle Robinson, UCSU Welfare Officer, said: “UCSU understands that the closure of the Tesco viaduct store might be a disappointment to the local community, however we are confident that our students will find suitable alternatives.

“Many of our members live closer to the campus locations rather than the city centre, with good access to other supermarkets including Asda and Morrisons.

“Carlisle has a well-connected bus service that would enable most students to complete their weekly shop even if they live further afield.

“Alternatively, most major supermarkets, including Tesco, offer an online delivery option which has become an increasingly popular service for students.

“We understand the expansion of the University of Cumbria into the Citadel location will bring more students into the city centre.

“This move is a few years off but could be an opportunity for the development of commercial offers such as a supermarket.”

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