A RETAILER has applied to take over a city store, sparking fears that staff could lose their jobs.

Home and garden retail chain The Range has applied to scrap a planning condition that prevents other companies from occupying the Homebase site, in Hylton Road, Worcester.

The redevelopment is expected to create 85 jobs, if it goes ahead, although a councillor claims Homebase staff are worried that they will lose their jobs.

City councillor Richard Udall, who represents St John’s, said: “They [staff] had no idea and no prior information The Range wanted to take over their store.

“To date they have received very little information from their employers, they don’t know if they will continue to have jobs.

“They have been treated very badly, they deserve some information and security. Ideally they would be allowed to transfer their employment to a new employer, some may wish to continue to work for Homebase at other stores, but it appears just as likely that they could all be out of a job.

“It is unfair and wrong to keep them in the dark, they deserve some explanation and some assurances.”

Cllr Udall has emailed the managing director of Homebase, Damian McGloughlin, asking him to provide assurances to staff.

He added: “I hope my email to the company will encourage them to shine some light on the situation and to share their plans with their loyal staff who have worked long and hard for Homebase, many for several years.

“They deserve to be treated better than this and I hope we can help to secure their future.”

In August, Homebase announced that it would close 42 stores by the spring of 2019 and that a further 70 shops were under review.

The retailer is closing the stores via a Company Voluntary Arrangement - an insolvency procedure used to shut under-performing shops.

MWA Planning & Development Consultancy, the planning agent for The Range, said it expected the new Worcester store would create 85 jobs, while the existing Homebase employs around 35 people.

The agent added that the new jobs would potentially be available to the Homebase employees.

A spokesman for the agent told the Worcester News: "The Range will replace Homebase as the sole occupier of the unit but the variation as proposed would not exclude other retailers from occupying the unit should at some point in the future The Range decide to vacate.

"The Range is not seeking a personal permission only a variation in the range of goods which can be sold to meet its business model and somewhat wider range of goods sold compared with Homebase."

Worcester City Council planners will make a decision on the application by January 25.

Homebase declined to comment.