Tesco submits outline plans for new Huddersfield store

Feb 11 2010 by Henryk Zientek, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Jennifer Duncan, Tesco’s corporate affairs manager, said the proposals would bring a “much-needed boost” to the town.

She said: “It is encouraging to be submitting a proposal which will benefit the local community and positively impact the economy during a period of downturn.

“The store will create 300 new jobs with further potential to create hundreds more through the wider regeneration scheme and the provision of an improved shopping experience for shoppers.

“Our Regeneration Partnership scheme has been a massive success across the UK and enables us to ring-fence a large number of jobs for people out of work or on benefits for at least six months.”

Tesco said its plans were well received by some of the people who visited public presentations on the scheme.

But objectors claim the new store will give Tesco undue influence in the regeneration of the town.

Retailers’ group Town First also said the development will greatly increase traffic on an already congested road.

And they claimed that Huddersfield will suffer an overall loss of employment – despite the new jobs created – as local businesses fold due to competition.

Kirklees Council’s cabinet has already approved plans for the new sports centre – but has stressed there will not be enough cash to build it unless it sells the existing sports centre site to Tesco.

The cost of the proposed new centre on council-owned car parks at Springwood is put at £36.2m.

The bulk of that is expected to come from the sale of the Southgate site.

The cabinet said repairing or revamping the existing sports centre would cost £18m to £22m and would take up to two years – whereas the overall Tesco project would include developments to regenerate Huddersfield town centre.

The planned timetable would see work start on the new sports centre in November 2010, with an opening planned for November 2012.

The new Tesco store would open its doors in February, 2014.