Tesco store to be dismantled and rebuilt

8.15.10pm GMT Thu 22nd Feb 2007

Peter Chapman

Gerrards Cross Parish Council heard a report this week that Costain, advising Tesco on the options for completing their store over the Chiltern Railways line, proposes dismantling the steel structure and removing more of the infill around the tunnel constructed two years ago.

The partially completed tunnel collapsed on June 30, 2005 causing a 7 week closure of the railway.

Costain proposes using new infill and then reassembling the store steelwork on new foundations.

Peter Chapman, Liberal Democrat campaigner in Gerrards Cross said "This shows that Costain is relying on nothing that was built before and will only take responsibility for the reconstruction of the store if it is satisfied that the work is done to its standards."

However Tesco has given no indication of when it will reach a decision. In fact Costain is also costing out the option of abandoning the whole project and restoring the cutting to how it originally was.

The Railway Inspectorate (part of the Health and Safety Executive) has not yet published its report into the collapse of the railway tunnel and will not do so until it has decided whether any criminal prosecution will be pursued against any of the companies involved in the design and construction of the tunnel.