Tesco - Ashtead, Ashtead, Surrey

Date: 07 Sep 2010

New Tesco store given green light.

Public inquiry concludes Tesco will bring business to Surrey village.

A public inquiry into Tesco's plans to build a new store on a former petrol station in Ashtead, Surrey, has found that the supermarket will make a positive contribution to the vitality and viability of the village.

The store will provide 8,100 sq ft (16,150 sq ft gross) of retail space on the ground floor, a mix of 2 one-bedroom, 4 two-bedroom, 3 three-bedroom flats on the first and second floors, in addition to 172 car parking spaces to serve Ashtead Village.

Local councillors had previously rejected two separate planning submissions to build on the site, raising fears it would be out of keeping with the village atmosphere and potentially harm local businesses.

However, planning inspector Nicholas Hammans disagreed and approved the proposal. He said: "I have taken account of housing need in the District, the availability of affordable housing, and the likelihood of new jobs at the supermarket. I consider the detriment to local food and convenience shops would be outweighed by the positive contribution which a supermarket of the size proposed in the application can make to the vitality and viability of Ashtead District Centre as a whole."

Tesco spokesperson Michael Kissman said: "As the planning inspector has pointed out, the addition of a new store will bring a positive retail diversion to Ashtead and improve customer choice and convenience. The application has been approved following a very thorough inquiry and democratic planning process.

This is now about looking forward to delivering a great store for our customers and working with the community during this process. We also expect a great deal of interest in the many new jobs that will be created."

Projected Tesco store, Ashtead, Surrey

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