Doubts cast over long-term future of Tesco superstore in Slough town centre

Doubt has been cast over the long-term future of Tesco Extra in Slough town centre.

The supermarket in Wellington Street is one of Tesco’s largest in the South-east and is open 24 hours a day all week, except Sundays.

But a leading planning officer for Slough Borough Council told a planning committee on Wednesday that he expects the store to be redeveloped within 10 years.

Paul Stimpson, SBC’s planning policy lead officer, said: “The store was built when they (Tesco) thought they were going to be selling white goods and clothes and we think Tesco is already too big for that area.

“We think, looking at what’s happening elsewhere, that they’re redeveloping lots of their sites.

“We can’t be sure but I would’ve thought that maybe not five years but certainly in 10 years, given the value of the site and the changing nature of shopping, they will voluntarily bring that forward.”

Mr Stimpson made the comments about Tesco’s future while he was telling councillors about the planning framework that will guide the regeneration of the town centre.

He added that, while he expected the Wellington Street site to be redeveloped, he hoped it would remain in the town in the short-term while regeneration continues.

 “We do think in the short term, while all the redevelopment is going on around the rest of the shopping centre, it is

important that it provides that car parking and keeps bringing people in to Slough,” Mr Stimpson said.

Councillors were also told that British Land, tasked with delivering the redevelopment of the Queensmere Observatory Shopping Centre, has requested that reference to a ‘large new supermarket replacing Tesco’ should be removed from the planning framework as there are no plans for this to happen.

A spokesman for Tesco said the company would not comment on the status of the store.