UPMARKET food store Waitrose could take over the Royal Mail sorting office in Chelmsford after it emerged the building will be sold.
Waitrose is believed to want the Victoria Road warehouse by March 2012 and Royal Mail hint they are working on an agreement, although postal staff say they have hit a "brick wall of silence" over the move which would affect more than 200 postal delivery staff.
Royal Mail employees have heard the aim is to move to a sorting office, probably in existing premises at Dukes Park industrial estate in Chelmer Village.
This week borough leader Cllr Roy Whitehead said his council has been encouraging Waitrose – part of the John Lewis group which is also coming to the town – to return.
He said: "They have been really serious about coming back to Chelmsford."
Speculation about the store returning has run for years after its old store – now Wilkinsons in the Meadows – shut in the 90s after six years in the county town.
Most recently Waitrose was said to want to take over Tesco's Homeplus store in Parkway.
Waitrose spokesman Rob Cadwell said: "It's no secret that we have wanted to have a store in Chelmsford for a long time, however we have no agreement in place for this or any other site at this time."
Communication Workers Union Essex chairman Mick Pottinger, speaking on behalf of the postal staff, said: "A move from Victoria Road has been on the cards for a long time but as often happens Royal Mail has done little or no pre-consultation with the staff.
"This is a major logistical exercise. Everything is up in the air and I think they will be pushing to make it happen by March.
"It has got to be done with minimum disruption of the postal service to Chelmsford people."
CWU amalgamated branch secretary John Hunt said: "The detail in the rumour is quite specific but there is a brick wall of silence from the management. The staff are always last to know."
But Frank Woodhatch, union chief at Victoria Road, added: "There has been no announcement by Royal Mail. The management has said nothing either to the staff or privately to the union reps."
Royal Mail spokesperson Sally Hopkins insisted:
"There is no agreement in place at present to sell Chelmsford delivery office."