Construction of a new Tesco Express on Washway Road has been put on hold while the retailer completes a review of its entire store portfolio.
The new store, on the site formerly occupied by American Golf Discount, had been scheduled to open by Christmas with several new jobs being created.
Last week however, new Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis announced a raft of changes to combat falling sales and cut costs.
These included the closure of 43 unprofitable stores across the UK – more than half of which will be smaller stores – and the shelving of a further 49 planned new stores that are currently in development.
The shelved in-development stores are said to be larger stores and the identity of many of them is already known.
But while Lewis conducts a review that he said will “start at the top and work down”, all current developments have been put on hold.
It’s understood that no decision has been taken yet on the Washway Road site yet and it may be a few weeks before its future is clarified. No work has taken place on the site this year so far.
Below: The proposed site of the new Tesco Express
