SUPERMARKET giant Tesco and The Petersfield School are joining forces to unveil ambitious, multi- million pound expansion plans at a special public meeting and exhibition in the town. TPS is proposing a far-reaching project which is set to put the school at the forefront of sport in the town, including a multi-purpose sports pitch, tennis courts, pavilion and gymnasium. And Tesco wants to expand its selling space, improve its entrance, and its delivery area. Their plans are likely to be submitted to East Hampshire District Council jointly before the end of the year. The news comes hard on the heels of an announcement by town centre supermarket Waitrose, which is planning a major refurbishment. Both supermarkets have released details of their proposals just weeks after Marks and Spencer announced it was to take over the former Somerfield store in the High Street. Work is currently being carried out to convert the store to an M&S "Simply Food" outlet, which is scheduled to open in the spring. Petersfield town councillors this week received an invitation from Tesco's town planning agent, Robert Posselt, to a presentation on the plans. He said The Petersfield School and Tesco were in the process of preparing plans for improved sporting facilities at the school, including an all- weather sports pitch and an extension to the existing Tesco store. "It is intended that a planning application be submitted in the new year," he said. Mr Posselt said Tesco intended to hold a public exhibition and wanted to talk to town councillors and other interested groups about their plans in the spirit of "best practice". He said a three-pronged programme of consultation had already been discussed and agreed with planning officers at East Hampshire District Council. The first stage was to make a presentation to town councillors and representatives of interested groups in the town. Mr Posselt said these included Petersfield Marketing Ltd, headed by Vernon Peake, Petersfield First Friday, East Hampshire Chamber of Trade and Commerce, Trevor Towner, who he understood was re-forming a business network of retailers, and Tony Struthers from the Town Partnership. In addition, there will be a two-day public exhibition of the plans. "Representatives from TPS and Tesco will be on hand to explain the proposals and answer any questions," he added. Information boards will be moved to Tesco and TPS in the lead-up to the submission of the planning application. And in the third part of the massive consultation programme, there will be a separate discussion exercise with people living close to the school. The Petersfield School released an outline of its plans exclusively in The Herald last May. Largely funded by the sale of school-owned land to neighbouring Tesco, TPS is planning a full-sized, floodlit, multi-use sports facility that will include six tennis courts, upgraded changing facilities, and a cricket pavilion. Last year, TPS headteacher Nigel Poole told The Herald that he hoped the whole package would be completed and ready for use by the end of the summer 2007. He said the sports complex would be a huge feather in the cap of the school, which opened its state-of-the-art £1.1m performing arts studio in 2005. The plans, it is universally recognised, would give a huge boost to the sports scene throughout Petersfield, where another multi-purpose sports field is desperately needed for community use. The sale of less than one acre of land to Tesco is likely to net the school between £1m and £1.5m. This, added to a six-figure sum from a Football Association grant, will cover the cost of the TPS sports plans, Mr Poole said last year. The sale is conditional on Tesco gaining planning permission to expand its existing store in The Causeway. It is believed the supermarket wants to extend the current store, providing more selling floor space and improving its entrance onto The Causeway. In addition, it is understood Tesco wants to expand its delivery area. But Mr Poole has warned that the deal is far from sealed – if Tesco fails to get planning permission, there will be no land sale and no funding for TPS. This week, Waitrose announced it was about to embark upon the biggest makeover the Rams Walk store has had since it first opened 14 years ago. A spokesman said work would begin in March, with a new look unveiled at the end of May. During that time, the shop will close for five days in the final week of the project, but otherwise he promised "business as usual". The refit would mean more goods on sale, including a wider range of chilled, prepared foods as well as fresh new service counters, including meat, fish, a patisserie and a delicatessen. Branch manager Grahame Lawrie said: "We will have a state-of-the-art new shop, which will give our customers greater choice. "We are always looking at ways to improve as a business and are confident that the new look will ensure we remain a strong anchor and positive influence for Petersfield."
