Warning over objections to Wolverhampton Tesco proposal
The proposed £60 million Tesco supermarket development in Wolverhampton would be "impossible" to build if an objection from a bus company is upheld, an inquiry has been told.
The inquiry, chaired by the Department of Transport, is being held today and its findings will determine whether the supermarket giant can finally build a 97,000 sq ft store on the site of the former Royal Hospital.
Banga Buses has submitted an objection to the plans on the basis that closing Sutherland Place in All Saints – as Tesco proposes – would lead to lengthy detours for its buses.
The company's objection triggered the inquiry, which is being held in the city's civic centre. Banga Buses, run by Raj Banga, also believes the development will increase traffic and noise pollution and make it dangerous at its Vicarage Road depot.
At today's inquiry, parties on behalf of Tesco offered an alternative route for buses to take on Hospital Street, rather than Sutherland Place.
Peter Smith, for the highways authority, said: "The development would be impossible without the use of Sutherland Place."