A MAJOR scheme to improve and expand Tenbury Museum for the local community and as a visitor attraction has stalled because of the delay in Tesco coming to the town.

The continual hold up is delaying a feasibility study that could also see the museum, currently tucked away up an alley in Cross Street, brought into the centre of town and transformed into a heritage centre.

Although Tesco has said that it will still be coming to the town no date has been set to start building the supermarket and a recent set of poor trading figures has fired a new round of speculation.

Tenbury Museum is keen to be able to show off more of its collection and has started opening as a satellite in the Pump Rooms on the third Saturday of each month to coincide with the monthly local produce market.

But there is major potential for expansion and moving the museum into the Old Fire Station on Teme Street was a key proposal of the Tesco development.

“Tesco wanted to knock the little front office down to improve vehicular access,” said Mike Thompson, secretary of Tenbury Museum.

“When they decided to continue with the shop, they also decided that they should start some construction work to maintain their development approval.

"We had previously agreed in principle that they would lease the building to us at peppercorn, but the length of lease was not sufficient to satisfy the Heritage Lottery for a grant we will need.

“We suggested to Tesco that they go ahead with demolishing that front office and we can start negotiations again on the lease.

“This will also allow us to start a feasibility study which will be essential before we can actually apply for the Heritage Lottery Fund grant.

“As can be seen, they have, indeed, demolished that office and they proposed a meeting with the museum society committee to discuss the future actions.

"We have offered some dates and are currently waiting for a response from Tesco to meet."

Mr Thompson said that a move to the site, subject to a feasibility study, would allow the museum to better present its collection by converting to a heritage centre.

“However, I have to give a word of caution in that since the above discussions, Tesco has again announced more financial difficulties,” said Mr Thompson.

It was in 1977 that the museum was set up but it has always been constrained by lack of space.

The collection includes a scroll of Henry III dating back to the 13th century, a recreation of a cobblers shop based in nearby Grete, an Edwardian kitchen, items from the archive of Henry Hickman, who was a medical man who had a practice in Teme Street in the early 1800s and a pioneer of anaesthetics.

Also housed in the museum are historical copies of the Tenbury Advertiser.

In January Dave Lewis, chief executive of Tesco, appeared to have ended speculation about the supermarket chain’s plans when he said that the Tenbury store will be built although no date could be given.