Tesco builds £7m police station - in return for new giant superstore



Determined supermarket chains will pay for new roads, street lights, housing and even public artworks to help win approval for new stores.



But now Tesco is building a state-of-the-art police station in a city centre redevelopment that will create its biggest British store so far.



Critics argue that the West Bromwich scheme is the latest step in a Tesco takeover of our towns.



Work in progress: Tesco have funded a new police station in West Bromwich which will cost around £7m

Designed in conjunction with owners West Midlands Police, the £7 million, three-storey local command unit will replace the current Seventies building.



The first police station in the UK to be paid for by a supermarket chain,

it forms part of a £200million redevelopment plan which Tesco is funding in order to gain planning permission for an enormous Tesco Extra in the centre of the town.



The superstore will occupy 140,000sq ft, more than enough space for two football pitches. It will be 15,000sq ft larger than Tesco’s current biggest store near Pitsea, Essex.



The plan will also pay for a cinema, restaurants, a 70-bedroom hotel, car parking, a petrol station, shops and a new ring road in West Bromwich, within the borough of Sandwell.



The police station is expected to be complete early next year after construction began in September on the first phase of the regeneration project. Work on the supermarket

has yet to start.



Chief Superintendent Steve Dugmore said: ‘The complex will contain state-of-the-art policing equipment, enabling us to further serve our communities.’



Ian Jones of Sandwell Council said: ‘The new station is a key part of the retail development and the wider regeneration of West Bromwich.’



Extra-large: Tesco are hoping their police station funding plan will enable them to build a giant Tesco Extra store in West Bromwich

Tesco, along with Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons, routinely pays for a

range of local amenities in exchange for planning approval, but it has

received permission for more new stores than the other major chains

combined over the past two years.



It made 392 successful planning applications in England from November 2008 to November 2010. In contrast, Sainsbury’s had 111 approved, Asda 33 and Morrisons 41. In Seaton, Devon, Tesco has reportedly offered local authorities a package including £1.7 million to build a ‘Jurassic Coast’ visitor centre, £200,000 for football pitches and changing facilities, £150,000 on buses and £80,000 for health services.



In 2007, Tesco offered to build a health centre in Linwood, Renfrewshire, but it has now withdrawn from the plans and instead offered £500,000 to update the existing clinic.



The West Bromwich police station has met opposition from critics of Tesco’s expansion. Labour MP Barry Sheerman said: ‘I cannot see the difference between this and a bribe.



‘If a dodgy-looking fellow turned up to a council and said, “Guv’nor, if you give me planning permission, I’ll make sure you get a nice new police station,” it would be referred for investigation. We should change the law so the Competition Commission stops this kind of behaviour.’



And a spokeswoman for campaign group Tescopoly said: ‘This is another example of the Tesco takeover of our towns. The regeneration of local areas must be led by communities – not greedy businesses.’



A Tesco spokesman said: ‘We’ve worked with the whole local community to develop our proposals. We’re pleased they’re well supported by the public.’