Tesco expansion a step clcoser

Transport and environment director Bob Wilkins urged Wednesday s planning and highways meeting to advise Rother that it believed Tesco s plan to extend its Ravenside store from 4,608sq. metres to 6,186 should be refused.

By four votes to two, the meeting decided to not to issue any advice.

Tesco want to add extensions to the front and rear of the store. Mr Wilkins said county figures suggest that nearly one shop in ten in Bexhill and Hastings shopping centres are standing empty.

Mr Wilkins said expanding Tesco s would have an "unacceptable impact" on established shopping areas and that Ravenside was "not accessible by choice of means of transport, including public transport, walking and cycling..."

Councillors were told that expansion at Ravenside would go against Government guidelines on out-of-town shopping centres but argued that there is a Tesco store there already.