Store plans to double in size with extension

Supermarket giant Tesco is hoping to double the size of its Paulton store, the

Traders in Midsomer Norton have vowed to fight the plans fearing it could be the final straw for the already-ailing High Street.

Tesco confirmed this week that it is in the early stages of developing proposals for an extension to the Old Mills site.

In addition to the enlarged store, car parking would also be increased and a number of new jobs would be created as part of the proposal.

Ian Thorn, director of Bath-based Meeting Place Communications, a public consultation company working for Tesco on the scheme, confirmed the supermarket planned to submit a planning application to Bath and North East Somerset Council and that two public consultations will be held on April 7 and 8.

The proposal would see the retail space at the store increased by 22,000sq ft from its current size of 38,000sq ft. The plans will also include a mezzanine level cafe.

If the plans gain approval the store will move on to the car park with an extension on the field directly to the left of the existing supermarket.

Mr Thorn said Tesco aimed to give its customers an improved shopping experience by increasing and expanding a number of product lines and the addition of a cafe.

He said: “The plan is for a large extension to the store. One of the aims is to offer a lot more reasonably-priced clothing, especially children’s clothing so customers do not have to travel outside the area to get what they need.”

The first of two public meetings will take place at the Old Town Hall, Midsomer Norton on, Thursday, April 7, from 6pm to 8.30pm. The second will be held at the Paulton store between 2pm and 7pm on Friday, April 8.

Plans showing what the new store will look like are not yet available. Mr Thorn said Tesco wanted to show customers the plans for the first time at the public consultations.

The store first opened in 1995 and was expanded in 2005 to include an additional 11,400sq ft of floor space.

The news of the planned expansion comes just days after Midsomer Norton and Radstock Chamber of Commerce vowed to encourage more shoppers to visit the High Street in Midsomer Norton rather than out of town supermarkets.

There are a number of empty shops in the town including the former Cookware shop at 98 High Street and units in Holly Court shopping centre.

Georgia Hains, who owns High Street clothing shop Mojo, said: “If it gets passed it will hit local traders very hard. They get their clothing in so cheap it is very difficult to compete.

“The Tesco store is already too big. I no longer shop there because of its size.

“No doubt the application will be passed, yet if you are a small business applying for permission I bet you would be turned down.”

John Sharp, who owns Norton Sports on Midsomer Norton’s High Street, said: “It’s the same old story of out of town supermarkets taking trade from the High Street. I will be anti the proposal.

“If they start selling school uniforms and sports wear it could hit us hard. Fortunately for us, the shoes and sports wear is not the best quality and the uniforms do not have the school logos.”