Tesco To Open A New Supermarket In Guildford

Published on: 13 Oct, 2020
Updated on: 15 Oct, 2020

By Hugh Coakley

Tesco is opening a supermarket in Queen Elizabeth Park (QEP) Stoughton early in 2021.

Based in the former site occupied by Budgens, which has been empty for five years, the new Tesco Express will occupy less than half of the original supermarket space.

The new Tesco Express will occupy less than half of the unit in Queen Elizabeth Park, Stoughton.

Budgens had only lasted there for 10 years, possibly due to the large size of the store at nearly 900sq m and local competition. Little Waitrose and Sainsbury’s Local are about a mile away by car.

Tesco, who own Booker, the UK’s largest food wholesaler, and also the Premier, Budgens and Londis store brands, has about 3,500 stores in the UK with Tesco Express making up about half of that number.

The planning application, submitted at the end of September, is for a new cashpoint and bollards at the front of the building and an extension of opening hours. Planning permission for the store itself was said by Tesco’s agent to be covered by the previous outline consent in 2001.

Guildford Borough Councillor, Pauline Searle (Lib Dem, Stoughton), said: “I think all residents of Stoughton will agree it will be good to have the vacant Budgen site in use again. It has been empty for far too long which has brought many issues of antisocial behaviour to the area.”

A Tesco spokesperson said: “We are pleased to confirm plans to open a new Tesco Express store at Queen Elizabeth Park, to serve customers in the area with great quality, affordable food, create new jobs for the community and bring the formerly vacant unit back in to use.

“We hope to open early 2021 and will keep the community updated as our plans progress.”

Responses to Tesco To Open A New Supermarket In Guildford

Jim Allen Reply

October 14, 2020 at 12:48 am

Excellent, that should reduce the traffic burden on Burpham.
Steve Page Reply

October 14, 2020 at 11:18 am

Wonderful news! 👍😃
D Bisdee Reply

October 16, 2020 at 9:51 am

It’s only going to be a small store. I don’t really think it will compete with Burpham Sainsbury’s. Also, this area can’t take lots of traffic, it’s just a residential neighbourhood. Think of it as a glorified corner shop.
- Yvonne Munro Reply
  
  January 23, 2021 at 8:35 pm
  
  D Bisdee obviously didn’t go into the store before it’s bigger than Sainsbury’s in Guildford.
Martin Elliott Reply

October 16, 2020 at 5:54 pm

It is half the size of the Budgen store originally there.

Although built as an “amenity” area for the Queen Elizabeth Park it failed before for that reason.

Like so many developments in the past 3-4 decades, it was laid out with deliberately poor access. One or two entry roads to the estate and not a lot in the way of connecting footpaths or cycle paths.

I lived for a few years in “the Spice Islands” off Cumberland Road which included Uni Surrey Hazel Farm Student Accommodation; along the Western Boundary of QE. Boundary was the correct word. One had to skirt the northern boundary and down the western boundary to get to the QE amenities.

The possible footpath along the western boundary was never adopted and was handed back to the garden owners.

By the way, the author has missed One-Stop, another “corner store” label who have several stores in Guildford Borough. They operate as a separate business but are owned by Tesco.

Also, what do the existing/surviving stores at the north/south ends of Grange Road think about the renewed competition, I wonder?
Jackie Bolton Reply

October 20, 2020 at 5:08 pm

I am glad to see the old Budgen unit finally being used but think a Tesco store unnecessary. It is such a shame it wasn’t used as a food depot/food bank during lockdown. What a wasted opportunity, though I know the Queen Elizabeth Park Community Church was helping. It is sad that has lost its lease as now there is no local cafe, unless you walk to Emmanuel Church.

As previous people have noted, there isn’t much parking unless you walk there and there is poor pedestrian access from the Cumberland Road side.

It would have been better to have a proper, furnished youth club as there is so little for the young people locally.

I think the whole area could be used more creatively and the shop could be more like a co-operative, ie run and owned by the community with more eco/ethical & locally sourced products.

I will continue to support the local corner shops who have done really well during lockdown and Waitrose.
Richard Folland Reply

October 21, 2020 at 9:20 pm

The idea to extend opening hours, and presumably access to late-night, alcohol is not so good.