Attracting another major retailer proves big companies are paying attention to a Flintshire town.

That was the reaction of Cllr Dennis Hutchinson, Mayor of Buckley, as Home Bargains confirmed on its website it would be moving into the town by February next year.

The discount retailer is moving into the former Budgens store on Brunswick Road that has stood vacant since March 30.

The unit was previously occupied by the supermarket chain but fell into difficulty resulting in the loss of more than 30 jobs.

Cllr Hutchinson, who represents the Buckley Pentrobin ward, said that bigger companies were now starting to take notice of what Buckley had to offer.

He said: “As mayor I’m delighted such a prestigious company as Home Bargains are coming to the old Budgens site and we’re very, very excited about it.

“I’m sure everyone in the town will be over the moon that such a big company is coming to the town.

“It shows big companies are paying attention to Buckley and that’s got to be good news.

“They’ve no doubt invested a lot of money and I’m sure people will respond positively to that.”

The store had been previously occupied by the Co-operative, which Budgens took over in July 2016 before entering financial difficulty.

Home Bargains is the latest in a series of major chains to move into Buckley following investment in a supermarket by Aldi in December 2015 and a Costa Coffee opening in the town’s precinct.

Despite listing the site on its website, Home Bargains remained tight lipped on plans.

A spokesman said: “As a result of our constant growth we’re always looking for new staff across the country.

“While we don’t have anything to announce at the moment, we’d encourage people to register on our jobs website so we can contact them if roles become available in their region.”