Supermarket giant abandons scheme to almost double the size of its Shand Park store

Midweek Herald: Bridge too far - an artist’s impression of the £350,000 footbridge which would have linked Axminster Tesco with the town centre.Bridge too far - an artist’s impression of the £350,000 footbridge which would have linked Axminster Tesco with the town centre. (Image: Archant)

Tesco’s plans to almost double the size of its Axminster store – and add a second storey to the car park - have turned out to be pie in the sky.

After months of speculation the supermarket giant has finally conceded that the scheme will not now go ahead.

A spokeswoman for the company told The Herald: “After careful consideration, we have decided not to extend the store.

“We were pleased to improve its layout, look and feel last year and customer feedback has been really positive on the improvements.

“We’re very pleased our new Seaton store has been equally well received and will continue to invest in our stores to make them better for our customers and colleagues.”

The controversial scheme to extend the Axminster store, which won planning consent in 2012, would have involved demolishing two houses, building a second storey to the car park and a bridge, linking the supermarket with the town centre.

Tesco said the enlarged store would provide some 40 extra jobs and, as a condition of its planning consent, it was required to provide a £60,000 donation towards a new town bus service - which will not now be required.

* Although Tesco denied it, the opening in 2011 of their much bigger Seaton store just fibe miles away is seen by many as the main reason behind the decision not to enlarge Axminster.