TESCO is due to formally submit a planning application for its proposed St Albans superstore today. After years of waiting, proposals by the supermarket giant to build a 4,000 square metre store on the site of the former Evershed print works in London Ro

TESCO is due to formally submit a planning application for its proposed St Albans superstore today.

After years of waiting, proposals by the supermarket giant to build a 4,000 square metre store on the site of the former Evershed print works in London Road are being submitted to St Albans District Council.

If the application is successful the store will take approximately a year to build and will incorporate seven independent shops, 490 car parking spaces, and generate 270 jobs.

As part of the plans, Tesco will refurbish 12 derelict houses in London Road to sell and will retain locally listed houses in Alma Road - but three other locally listed houses in Inkerman Road are to be demolished.

Following a public consultation last summer, Tesco reduced the size of the proposed store by 18 per cent and reduced the number of car parking spaces from 546 to 490.

A second consultation document was sent out to 15,000 nearby homes and businesses in November to find out what the public thought of the revised plans.

Tesco spokesman Michael Kissman maintained that the amended plans were so well received that few changes had been made to them.

He explained that they had submitted new and very detailed traffic survey information with the application and were confident that the store would not cause traffic jams.

Mr Kissman stressed that the store had been designed to be in keeping with the local area and a multi-million pound investment on a derelict site would bring new jobs and regeneration to the area.