Supermarkets on council shortlist

Oct 11, 2008
TESCO is one of two supermarket chains on the shortlist of companies hoping to redevelop Bexley’s civic offices site.

Bexley decided the shortlist of four at a closed session of its cabinet meeting last week.

The four companies, which will now be asked to develop their ideas are a Tesco consortium of Buro Four, Tesco through its subsidiary Spenhill Regeneration and St James’s Investments; a Sainsbury’s consortium of J Sainsbury and Land Securities Trillium, which had initially made a separate bid; John Laing; and The Mall Fund.

Their proposals will be displayed to the public at an exhibition in the new year before the council makes its final choice.

Cabinet member for finance and corporate affairs Councillor Colin Campbell, who is leading the Bexley First project, revealed the redevelopment could radically change the eastern end of the Broadway.

He said: “We have to look at the relationship between this redevelopment and the surrounding area, including the Marriott Hotel, the car showroom, Bexley courts, the Albion Road dual carriageway and Highland Road.”

If necessary, Cllr Campbell said Bexley would be prepared to look at closing part of Highland Road to make sure the new development has a pedestrian connection to the rest of the Broadway shopping area.

He said: “The Bexley First project is all about regeneration.

“If we just build an ivory tower for the council to sit in, we will have failed.”

Cllr Campbell described the four successful bids as “innovative and imaginative” and said in the current economic climate retail — especially food — was still strong.

But he said despite two supermarket chains being in the running, the retail part of the development would not just be a supermarket.

Cllr Campbell admitted the inclusion of Tesco could confuse the public, because of its application to redevelop the former Woolwich site at the eastern end of the Broadway.

He said: “Tesco has been quite open about what it is doing but the situation is quite messy and it has got to make up its mind.”

Bexley Council has emphasised the two projects are being kept completely separate.

The redevelopment will also include homes and Cllr Campbell confirmed this part of the scheme could be a landmark building up to 10 storeys high.

He said: “All the money made from Bexley First will be ploughed back into public services, into changing the way we work and looking after the public and our staff.”

Source: News Shopper