After more than 12 years of stringing Dartford along, Tesco has announced it will not be building a store in Lowfield Street and has also pulled out of a Bexleyheath development.

The retail giant will not be building on the site at 26 to 142 Lowfield Street despite having planning permission for an 8,000sq m store and 34 one-bed and 73 two-bed flats.

The designs were the latest in a long list of plans for a store on the street, which were first mooted in 2002.

But a beleaguered Tesco today announced it was closing 43 unprofitable stores across the UK, and shelving plans to build a further 49 new "very large" stores – including Lowfield Street and Albion Road, Bexleyheath.

Tesco chief executive officer Dave Lewis said: “It is with a heavy heart I am today announcing that we are unable to proceed with 49 planned new store developments across the UK, including our planned store in Dartford.

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Lowfield Street has been waiting on a new Tesco for more than 12 years.

"Our performance as a business has fallen significantly short of where we would want it to be and my absolute imperative has to be to protect the future of our business for the  300,000 colleagues we employ in communities all over the UK.

"I know that this news will be a real disappointment to many people in the local community and we’re extremely grateful for the support we’ve received for our plans.

"I am very aware of the importance of the site to the area and I am determined that we will work closely with the council to find the right solution for the local community.”

The announcements are the culmination of two terrible years for Tesco, which has suffered falling sales, profit warnings and an accounting scandal. 

The company is also planning to close its staff pension scheme, make further cuts of £250m and reduce overheads by 30 per cent.

Dartford politicans blast 'appalling' Tesco

Dartford and Bexleyheath and Crayford MPs Gareth Johnson and David Evennett received letters this morning from Mr Lewis outlining the company's decisions. 

Mr Johnson said: “This announcement ends a very frustrating and lamentable period for Dartford.

“Tesco has treated Dartford in an appalling manner and created uncertainty for years.

“This decision at least brings us some closure now and gives us the opportunity to plan the future for Lowfield Street and the town centre.

“Recent decisions from other companies have shown there is a keen interest from businesses to invest in Dartford so we can be positive about the future.

“I personally will be glad to see the back of Tesco but the important thing now is to work on Dartford's future – a development in Lowfield Street without a Tesco store.

“We need to see something that works in the best interests of Dartford and I believe this is now very achievable.”

Dartford Council leader Jeremy Kite said: "I think the announcement has created a line in the sand now and it's not entirely unexpected.

"Although this news is very bad in terms of Tesco, and we feel terribly angry towards them, in the great scheme of things this is an opportunity to bring forward a good plan for Lowfield Street and hopefully work with people who have got more vision and ability to deliver than Tesco. 

"To critics of the council I would say what would you have done differently?

"The announcement today involved 49 stores and before Christmas Tesco announced they would not be going ahead with another 100 so there are nearly 150 councils out there who have made the same mistakes.

"The problem here is with Tesco. My hunch is they will approach us with a new residential plan but I don't think the people of Dartford want to work with them again because they don't trust them.

"They own the land at the moment so we have to talk with them but I will be saying to Tesco that their reputation is shot to bits and the best thing they can do is leave. 

"Lowfield Street is always going to be a superb location next to a high street and a park with good transport links to the M25 and London.

"This is an opportunity to make sure we get a better deal for Dartford and I think that probably means working with a third party developer."

Demolition of the crumbling facades of the old shops, businesses and homes on Lowfield Street was meant to start in July after Dartford Council granted planning permission in September 2013. 

There were further delays until work to clear the site finally began at the end of last year. 

But the claim "The wait is over", splashed across boards covering up the site, are a hollow promise to Dartford residents.

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Labour parliamentary candidate for Dartford Simon Thomson said: "Today's confirmation Tesco has finally dropped plans to build a super-store in Dartford town centre hardly comes as a surprise.

"Anyone who walks past the boarded up shops in Lowfield Street or has read the company's annual report will realise that.

"The Tory council in Dartford has overseen this sorry saga for 12 long years and the Tory MP has done nothing over the last five years to find a resolution and come up with alternative plans.

"They've failed Dartford and have left the town centre to rot. It was foolish to solely rely on a supermarket to regenerate Dartford, without a plan B."

'Empty wasteland': Views from Dartford businesses

Veronica Mabugo has been a partner in the LA Boutique beauty salon across the road from the derelict site for three years.

She told News Shopper: "Everybody was looking forward to Tesco coming because it would bring more exposure to businesses in Lowfield Street but now they've pulled out it's a big blow.

"When we took over the shop we thought they were coming. We have another salon in Woolwich and when Tesco came there it boosted that.

"Something has to happen to attract local people because in the town centre there are a lot of empty shops and there is nothing exciting there.

"You've got grocers and the bank and that's it. It needs something different."

Senior sales negotiator George Andrews from estate agents Ward and Partners in nearby Market Street said: “It’s not a great look when you think it the exit route out of Dartford and you see all this empty wasteland.

“It’s been empty for so long, it needs to be dealt with.

“When you show clients round there, it does not look good – we’ve been telling everyone the store is coming and we’d like to promote this area as much as possible.

“We’re losing a lot of shops in Dartford and need some good quality stores and restaurants so a development would be good. The standard of shops isn’t great.” 

Osman Hussein is manager of Dartford Dry Cleaners opposite the condemned row of buildings.

He said: “We just need to know what will happen. Will it be passed on to developers?

“They’ve continued to demolish in front of us over Christmas and they’ve just invested in that so why would they pull out?

“At the end of the day it’s down to the council to get the land passed on to the developers so something can happen to the land. There’s potential there, it could make a complex of living accomodation, pleasing to the eye.

“Having the site empty has affected trade because you just don’t get the walk-in custom.

"The council’s been backing this all the way and now questions need to be asked about who’s accountable. There was no plan B."

He added: "If you’re job is to develop land, things don’t always go to plan."

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Osman Hussein pictured in Lowfield Street in August after demolition was delayed

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The original artists' impression of the Tesco development in 2011

UKIP's candidate for Dartford Elizabeth Jones said: "Successive administrations at the council have placed excessive reliance on Tesco for many years as it absolved them of the responsibility to think of a better plan.

"Our once vibrant town centre has been reduced to a wasteland of empty shops and demolition sites. It is the sort of catastrophic failure for which heads should roll at the council, although we're not holding our breath for any resignations.

"It was clear six months ago that the Tesco development was unlikely to happen and yet despite this, the council allowed the site to be largely cleared, losing several long-established businesses in the process.

"The only beneficiary of this is Tesco, who are now able to sell a cleared site for redevelopment.

"The only positive aspect is that Dartford now has an opportunity to remodel Lowfield street into something more appropriate for our historic town centre than another corporate superstore.

"Whether the current council - tainted as it is by the failure of successive town centre schemes - is capable of this is something voters will have an opportunity to decide in May."

Lowfield Street delays

  • 2002- development of Lowfield Street by Tesco is first mooted.
  • 2004-2006- plans for a 161,000sq ft Tesco hypermarket are rejected.
  • 2008-2011- the £300 million Lowfield Vision project for a 120,000sq ft Tesco and 934 homes comes to nought as the recession starts to bite.
  • November 2011- an £80million plan to create 400 full-time jobs at a 24hour Tesco Extra store and 231 homes is approved by the council, but Tesco stalls on construction.
  • September 2013- scaled down plans for an 8,000sq m Tesco and 34 one-bed and 73 two-bed flats get the nod from the council.
  • June 2014: Tesco announces demolition of 26 to 142 Lowfield Street will start the following month
  • January 2015: Despite demolition having finally begun, Tesco announces it will not be building a new store.

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'Serious blow' for Bexleyheath

Commenting on Tesco's decision to pull out of building on the site of the former Bexley Council offices in Albion Road, Bexleyheath (pictured above), Bexleyheath and Crayford MP David Evennett said: “I am naturally disappointed by their decision as I am concerned that Bexleyheath’s future will suffer as a result of the company’s failings nationally.

“Tesco urgently needs to outline what their plans will now be for the former Civic Offices site, which is currently just an unsightly hole in the ground.

“They cannot be allowed to let this site deteriorate, like they have done in other places.”

Mr Evennett will be arranging to meet with Tesco's representatives shortly, he added.

Erith and Thamesmead MP Teresa Pearce said: “This is a serious blow for the borough's regeneration plans.

"The council's budgets are stretched to capacity and the new store along with its 400 jobs and, of course, the lost business rates will leave a further dent in their future finances.

"I am crossing my fingers Bexley has a plan B to fall back on.”

The announcements brought relief to Tesco shareholders, as prices rose by more than nine per cent this morning.

What do you think of Tesco's decision? Comment below or email hwood@london.newsquest.co.uk