Tesco says building update is due soon

The new Tesco store in Sandy was given the go ahead by Central Beds Council back in March 2011 – but construction is yet to begin nearly two years later.

The Chronicle asked Tesco when building work will begin, when the New Road shop is expected to open and why it has been so delayed. Tesco declined to give specifics but promised more details in mid January.

A spokesman for Tesco said: “We remain committed to bringing a store to Sandy which will offer convenient, affordable and good quality grocery shopping.

“This will have a positive impact on the local economy, creating 180 new jobs as well as keeping people shopping locally.

“We are currently finalising our plans and hope to update the community in the coming months on timings for construction and opening.”

The chain is grateful for the local support, he added.

When the store’s planning application was approved in March 2011 Tesco said: “We’ll have to wait for around six months for the legal agreements and conditions to be signed off before we can start work. It will then take around six to eight months for the store to be built.”

This took the opening date to around May 2012 at the latest.

In January 2012 there was still no sign of work at the site –but Tesco said that the store should be open by Christmas 2012. At the time Tesco admitted: “It’s taken much longer than we expected.”

But in March a further delay was announced. Tesco said it was unlikely that the store would be open by Christmas but did not set a date for work to begin.

In July there was a new development when workmen began preliminary site investigations and archaeological investigations.

Tesco said then that work should begin in the autumn but this did not materialise.