The old Kleeneze site
Tesco’s latest profit warning has sparked further speculation about whether the supermarket earmarked for the old Kleeneze site in Hanham will ever be built.
Tesco fought for years to get permission to build a supermarket on the derelict site in Ansteys Road and finally in 2012 a 2,918sq m store was approved with the promise of 160 jobs for local people and 228 two-hour free parking spaces.
Tesco had given assurances that it would be completed in 2014 and then 2015. This week a spokesman told us that the Hanham site was “part of the development review”.
Tesco has been stepping back from very large stores in favour of smaller neighbourhood shops – like one planned for the Chequers pub in Kingswood – as it attempts to halt its slide in fortunes.
There is speculation that Tesco’s property arm will try to get planning permission for housing estates on many of the unwanted plots.
In recent months, an Aldi supermarket has opened in Longwell Green and a small Morrisons store is set to open there any day. A Sainsbury’s Local has also opened recently on the Kingsway.
