The DRE Group Ltd, owners of Hereford’s Maylord Centre, has unveiled an “Aspirational Masterplan” for the area immediately to the north of the historic core of the city, creating a new 110,00 sq ft on-stilts ‘Tesco Anchor Store’ on the site of the existing cattle market.
With car-parks beneath, the superstore will replace the exisiting Tesco alongside the Edgar Street roundabout and bus station, where a “Hereford Centre” will be created “to accommodate a public library, joint services centre, tourist information, police and other community/new business users”, says the proposal.
“The exisiting Tesco car park can be retained as a public car park, with an upgraded public transport hub and improved linkage to the new development and Edgar Street Grid sites”, it says.
The new Tesco will front “a new public realm area”, to include a “Charter Market Place” and “Market Hall” – replacing the Market Tavern.
These will be alongside a number of retail units and a Next and Debenhams “anchor department store” linking to an expanded Maylord Centre.
At the junction of Commercial Street-Commercial Road, facing the Kerry Arms, will be a new Commercial Square, to include a new cinema, while the Garrick car park in Widemarsh Street will be “enhanced and upgraded” with its lowest level “converted and extended to acommodate smaller shops and kiosks”.
When the existing Tesco site owners, the Church Commissioners, put the site up for sale in 2006 for £20 million (eventually withdrawning it from the market) they commented: “The property will benefit considerably (from the proposed ESG development) as it will effectively be located between the new Retail Quarter and the existing City Centre provision.”
