TESCO has committed itself to refurbishing and bringing back into use dilapidated houses in St Albans which have been blighted by their supermarket scheme. The supermarket giant has applied for planning permission to restore eight houses in London Road,

TESCO has committed itself to refurbishing and bringing back into use dilapidated houses in St Albans which have been blighted by their supermarket scheme.

The supermarket giant has applied for planning permission to restore eight houses in London Road, St Albans, which abut the former Evershed's site which Tesco wants to redevelop as a supermarket.

It follows years of pressure from the district council to get something done about the houses which have been falling into disrepair since Tesco acquired the Evershed's site

The council's planning portfolio holder, Cllr Chris Brazier, said this week: "This is what we have been wanting and will tidy up that area now. We said we could use the Empty Dwellings Management Order to repossess them and would have rented them out had they not agreed to put in an application to convert them into townhouses.

"It has taken us nearly three years to get to this stage but they have kept to their part of the bargain and it should tidy up that part of London Road which is one of the main entrances into St Albans."

The council has also sanctioned enforcement action to make owners Wattsdown Developments tidy up the front of old cinema on the opposite side of the road.