Tenbury Wells Tesco store build contract still not signed
The contract for work to start on a new multi-million pound Tesco superstore in Tenbury Wells has still not been signed – more than six months after planning permission was granted.
Legal discussions are still taking place over plans to build the supermarket and car park on the site of the town's former cattle market. Issues being resolved include Tesco's contribution to major road and footpath improvements in the town centre.
Officials at Tesco have said no timetable has been put in place for work to start on the supermarket.
But Ken Pollock, Worcestershire county councillor for Tenbury Wells, said he was hopeful an agreement would be reached soon and said he still hoped to see the store ready by the end of 2013.
Planning for the store was granted by Malvern Hills District Council in March after several years of arguments and protests over the plans by members of the TesNO campaign group. The 2,310 sq ft store will create up to 150 jobs and officials at Tesco have claimed the design of the store will be unique to the town.
Sophie Akokhia, Tesco's regional corporate affairs manager, said: "The contract has not yet been signed for the Tesco store in Tenbury. Once that has happened we will appoint a store development manager and will be able to set a timetable for work.
"It is pretty common for major planning applications to run like this. Legal discussions are taking place – in this case over the public realm works in the town centre.
"We cannot set a timetable for work to take place until the contract is signed. I could not say when work will start, but we expect it will take a year to build."
Councillor Pollock said: "I do not see any reason why they (Tesco) cannot stick to the intended opening date of the end of 2013."
