Beloved Tesco to be replaced with office block and supermarket half the size

By Adrian Zorzut, Local Democracy Reporter

A beloved Tesco’s will be demolished and replaced with an office block and supermarket almost half the size under plans approved by Westminster council.

Councillors said developers HECF Soho Limited had made “dramatic improvements” to the Dean Street and Soho Square scheme after refusing a similar design last year and voted unanimously to approve it during a planning meeting on Tuesday evening.

Changes include carving out dedicated space for a supermarket to operate on ground level, lowering the height of the six-storey office block and keeping some of the original colour scheme.

Committee chairwoman Ruth Bush said on balance the flow of jobs being offered by the developer and dedicated space for a low-cost supermarket would benefit the community. 

Councillor Paul Fisher suggested it would be unreasonable to reject the application.

He said: “I cannot conceivably say that the demolition of that façade is to be stopped and in doing so, stop the development of Grade A office space, stop the protection of this use of an asset as a community value as a supermarket, and prevent all the other public benefits we’ve heard.

“We are not the last stop for the applicant if they want to challenge this.”

Councillors agreed with Hines’ development director, Robbie Pitman, who supported the applicant, that the current Tesco’s in Dean Street was “over-spaced” and said the new but downsized supermarket space would be enough to meet community needs. 

The store was formally recognised as an Asset of Community Value (ACV) by Westminster City council following a nomination from the Soho Society in December, according to the council. 

The designation of the supermarket as an ACV means if the property it occupies goes up for sale, the community will be offered the chance to purchase it first. It will remain an ACV for five years.

Cllr Patrick Lilley, lead member for Soho, said he was “thrilled” with the result. 

He said: “Residents as well as visitors and workers in Soho will still be serviced by an affordable supermarket for years to come. This was central to my own objection and I’m pleased it was addressed by all those concerned.”

In October, Westminster City councillors refused HECF Soho Limited’s proposals citing issues with the height and bulk of the development, which included a double-height bazaar and a terraced roof. 

The height of the current development has been reduced by half a metre and the terraced roof replaced with greenery. 

The bazaar has also been removed in favour of supermarket space following an outcry from residents. 

Pictured top: The Tesco Express on Dean Street has been formally recognised as an Asset of Community Value (Picture: Google Street View)