Tesco will open new Gerrards Cross supermarket in 2010

10.52.19am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 11th Jul 2007

Peter Chapman chaired the meeting

Tesco management called a public meeting in Gerrards Cross on July 4 to give more details of their decision to complete their supermarket and to answer residents' questions.

Over 200 people were present in the Colston Hall. The speakers were Mr Malcolm Brummer, Property Governance director of Tesco, Mr Michael Kissman, Corporate Affairs manager at Tesco, Mr Mike Sawyer, Director of Operations of Costain and Mr John Tubman, Director for Structures of Scott Wilson, engineering consultants engaged by Costain.

Peter Chapman of Gerrards Cross Parish Council introduced the speakers and chaired the meeting.

Mr Brummer apologised to the residents of Gerrards Cross for the disruption caused by the tunnel collapse on June 30, 2005 and for the length of time it had taken to report back with a solution. He said that it had taken time to find out why the tunnel had collapsed, more time had been required once Tesco decided to change contractors and that it had taken time to be sure that the proposed solution was safe.

Mr Brummer assured the meeting that safety was of the utmost importance to Tesco.

He explained that the tunnel had collapsed because of a combination of several factors: the precast concrete segments had not been manufactured precisely to the correct dimensions, the infill had not been placed around the segments in the correct manner and the nature of the soil to the south of the collapsed area had not been allowed for.

He went on to give an account of what Tesco proposed to do to complete the store, including the construction of a reinforced concrete arch over the existing tunnel segments during 2008, bringing more infill in by train in 2009 and completing the store by March 2010.

Before any of this can start, Network Rail has to approve the design concept and will be involved at every stage to ensure that the railway operates in a safe and reliable manner.

Once Network Rail gives permission to proceed, the steel structure will be dismantled, removed and stored off site. In February 2008, Tesco intends to remove 7500 cubic metres of soil and infill from the site to create an access ramp for a crane to place new tunnel segments where they are missing.

The four speakers then took questions from the meeting for an hour and a half.

Two topics dominated the questions. Several residents wanted to know why Tesco still intended to proceed with a store of this size and others asked questions about the safety of the Incinerator Bottom Ash Aggregate (IBAA) which had been used as infill material.

Tesco said that they had valid planning permission to build the store, that it will be of benefit to the community, that it will be a quality store with 300 car parking spaces for the community to use, that it will allow people to shop locally and that it will bring together the two halves of the village, north and south of the railway.

On IBAA, Tesco pointed to the assurances received from the Environment Agency, most recently in a letter to Dominic Grieve MP and the report commissioned by an independent expert, Dr Bernard Acton, who also confirmed that IBAA was safe and legal.

In response to other questions, the following answers were given:

·Costain will monitor dust and respond to individual complaints and take appropriate action.

·Tesco have no other similar sites above railway lines which they are discussing with Network Rail.

·If Network Rail is not satisfied with the safety of the project it cannot proceed.

·It is not in Tesco's interests to create traffic congestion and prevent shoppers from entering the store.

·Tesco and Costain want to continue the dialogue with the community and will communicate with the Parish Council over many details, including ways of involving residents in meetings.

·Costain will be more amenable and helpful towards the residents than the previous contractor proved to be.