Tesco Extra store, shopping mall and town square
The best available estimate for the opening date of the new Tesco Extra store is “October/November 2008” – this information has been provided to The Journal in August 2008 by Scott Lahive, manager of the new Willow Brook Centre (of which the new Tesco Extra store forms the main part).
Consequently, the countdown display in the sidebar of this website currently assumes an opening date of 3rd November 2008.
It is understood that the previously-scheduled opening date was 6th October 2008, but this has been put back due to delays in construction of the new town square, which planning conditions require to open at the same time as the new Tesco Extra store.
That said, an opening in mid-October might still be possible, according to Mr Lahive.
UPDATE (Monday 1st September 2008): The official Willow Brook Centre website, when it went public on Friday 29th August 2008, showed an opening date of Monday 13th October. This date was later confirmed to The Journal by centre manager Scott Lahive. We are now using this new date in our countdown display, although the offical website has since been updated to state only that the Centre will open “in October”.
Retail terrace
The second phase of the development, consisting of five non-food retail units, is scheduled for completion in “Spring/Summer 2009”. Construction will commence in January 2009, after the old Tesco store has been demolished.