BUILDING work on Hanley's new Tesco store and ring road should finally start within months – unless there is a public inquiry.

The city council is working with Tesco to prepare a 12,000 square metre site for the new flagship store.

It has applied to compulsorily purchase the remaining 14 plots of land needed to build the supermarket and link road.

But objections have already been lodged about the compulsory purchase order (CPO) and the council is trying to avoid a public inquiry.

It comes as traders near the derelict sites warned their businesses could fold before Tesco even opens.

The new Tesco supermarket will replace its current store in Marsh Street and employ 130 extra staff on top of the existing 170 employees.

It will be built alongside a link road between Broad Street and Etruria Road which will help to complete the Potteries Way ring road.

Councillor Adrian Knapper, portfolio holder for economic development, said: "We hope to have the land by the end of the year so building work can start early in the New Year.

"The Tesco development is crucial because it is going to continue the ring road around the city centre."

The plans will also swallow up the council's Clough Street car park, which will shut next year.

City Centre Chamber of Trade chairman Richard Day today welcomed news that building work should start soon.

He said: "I think the builders of major regeneration schemes in Hanley, such as the East West Centre, will be looking very closely at this because once this development takes place people will begin to believe that regeneration is happening.

"There are a lot of important regeneration projects to come, but the city needs something like the new Tesco to start things off."

Tony Joynson, projects manager for inward investment agency InStaffs, said: "The whole of the city centre offer is dependent on having a good road infrastructure, but at the moment it is not that good.

"With the Tesco development we will finally get a proper ring road."

Tesco official Nick Gellatly confirmed building work should start early next year.

He said: "The site assembly process has taken far longer than we would have hoped.

"We tried to avoid a compulsory purchase order, but have had to go through with it due to problems with unknown ownership of land or people delaying for whatever reason.

"Our current store in Hanley is well overdue being replaced."

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