Concerns grow over supermarket delay
SHOPPERS in Burry Port are still in the dark about the progress of a new Tesco store planned for the town.
The supermarket giant has refused to confirm a start date for work on the project, which will create 120 jobs when it opens.
Seen as key to the regeneration of the town, it had been hoped the supermarket would have been open by last December.
But the site still lies undeveloped, and the company says it is locked in talks with Carmarthenshire Council over the details of the scheme.
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A Tesco spokeswoman said: "We are currently working on the detailed highways design with the council.
"This is an important part of the planning process to ensure the store complements the surrounding area.
"I would like to thank residents for their patience as we finalise the plans."
When pressed for a start date, a spokesman said full planning consent would not be in place until the highways design was accepted.
A Carmarthenshire Council spokesman added: "Discussions are ongoing and we are hopeful of a positive outcome.
"The council has asked Tesco for a timetable.
"We are expecting a response from Tesco in due course."
Residents are beginning to get impatient as they wait for work to begin on the store.
Deborah Stephens, 39, of Dolau Fan, Burry Port, said: "I can't wait for Tesco to come to town — it will save a long shopping trip to Trostre and will boost the town.
"The new store should have been built by now. The council should have made sure that it was built by when they said it would be built."
Carmarthenshire councillor Pat Jones moved to quash fears that Tesco had bought the site to prevent other supermarkets from opening there.
"There is no land banking at all," she said.
"We should be having some news soon."
Town councillor Hefin Williams added: "I feel Tesco are dragging their feet.''
Comments
by Shockleader
Thursday, February 14 2013, 1:58PM
“Typical behaviour from Tesco. It is absolutely not in their interest to pull their fingers out in Burry Port - there is no competition, if you are going to drive to Asda in Llanelli, you may as well drive up to Trostre and go to Tescos up there - at least you can go to M&S, Debenhams etc at the same time. They may say that this isn't land banking but you could bet your life that if Sainsburys decided to buy a parcel of land in B Port, the Tesco store would be open by June!”