Plans to transfer and lease an East of England Co-op to retailer Sainsbury's have been welcomed by a seaside town's business organisation.

It has been revealed that the Co-op store in Felixstowe's Hamilton Road would become a new branch of the national supermarket chain and this news has been welcomed by Felixstowe Business Improvement District (BID).

The BID's manager Kate Cain said: "We don't have any details on the nature of the store yet, but we are excited to welcome a popular supermarket into the heart of the town centre.

READ MORE: Co-op confirms transfer of Felixstowe branch to Sainsbury's

"As I understand it, the current staff will be retained to work at the new store, which is great news for us as customers to be able to see the faces and customer service we are familiar with, as much as it is for the staff who live locally.

"The Co-op has been a fantastic community partner and we hope to continue this connection with the new tenants."

The retailer has confirmed that the petrol filling station will remain unaffected by these changes.

The Felixstowe branch is one of two being transferred - Brightlingsea in Essex will also be handed over to Sainsbury's.

The Co-Op is also in conversation with a second retailer regarding the transfer and lease of its Halstead supermarket at Weavers Court.

READ MORE: Felixstowe Co-op petrol station reopens after crash

Sainsbury's chief executive Simon Roberts said: “As we progress with our Next Level Sainsbury’s plan, we remain laser-focused on delivering the best combination of value and quality in the market and customers continue to recognise this.

"We want to keep building on this momentum, which is why we are growing our footprint further with new stores that will showcase some of the best that Sainsbury’s has to offer.

"We’re excited to be bringing Sainsbury’s supermarkets to Felixstowe and Brightlingsea for the first time and we look forward to welcoming these new stores into Sainsbury’s next year.”

Doug Field, chief executive of the East of England Co-opDoug Field, chief executive of the East of England Co-op (Image: Doug Field/East of England Co-op)

Doug Field, the East of England Co-op's chief executive, said the changes "in no way" reflected on the "incredible colleagues" who provided a "fantastic service" to members and customers.