Tesco puts bid for bigger Shrewsbury store on hold
Supermarket giant Tesco admitted today it still has no start date for expanding its Shrewsbury superstore – nine months after winning planning approval.
And rival supermarket giant Sainsbury's has yet to start work on extending its Meole Brace store – despite having planning approval for well over a year.
Tesco was granted permission to expand by a third its Extra store in Battlefield last April.
But today a spokesman confirmed there is still no start date for the work.
He said: "We are currently putting our plans together for refreshing our stores throughout the country.
"Our Battlefield Road store is very popular with customers and as soon as we have a further update on the expansion plans we will let the local community know."
Peter Nutting, the leader of Shrewsbury Town Council, questioned whether the expansion would ever go ahead.
"I wonder whether they will do the work," he said.
"The market has changed.
"There are lots of supermarkets around the town and I wonder if they can justify spending the money on it."
Tesco's plans to expand sparked controversy last year, with concerns for its possible effect on town centre shops.
Meanwhile, Shropshire Council planners granted permission on November 17, 2011, for an equally controversial expansion of the Sainsbury's superstore in Hereford Road.
But more than a year on there is also no start date for the work.