Tesco unveil plans to build Stanley store

Sep 24 2009 The Journal

SUPERMARKET giants Tesco have announced plans to build a multi-million store in a County Durham town centre.

The company says the development in Clifford Road, Stanley, would create 400 jobs and provide much needed regeneration to the town.

Most of the existing shops on the site earmarked by Tesco are vacant and the area was highlighted last year by the former Derwentside District Council’s Stanley Town Centre Area Action Plan as ideal for retail development. Public consultation carried out by the council then, and the launch earlier this year of an Area Action Partnership, revealed high demand from Stanley residents for improved food and non-food shopping.

North Durham MP Kevan Jones has backed the proposal, saying: “I welcome this new investment proposal for Stanley. As well as the jobs, it would revitalise the town centre.

“The area where the store would be located is ideal, close to the new health centre and bus station. The new Tesco development would mark the first major investment in the centre of Stanley for a long time and, I look forward to working with Tesco to bring further improvements for the people of Stanley.”

Tesco’s proposal is for a shop floor of 55,000 square feet on the first floor of the development with a car park below on the ground floor. It has 500 spaces and travelators – moving pavements – would provide shoppers with easy access between the shop and car park.

The Stanley store would be one of a new generation of eco-stores designed to dramatically reduce Tesco’s carbon footprint.

Tesco’s corporate affairs manager Doug Wilson said: “The store will also revitalise the town centre and provide shoppers with competition and a fantastic choice of food as well as the range of other products found in Tesco stores.”