TESCO says that it is determined to press ahead with building the new supermarket in Tenbury with as little delay as possible.

But the supermarket chain says that it is also keen to make sure that it does not disrupt Christmas trade for shops and businesses in the town.

“We want to get on with things now that we have started but we also want to work with people and businesses in the town,” said Jess Walker for Tesco.

There have been some concerns, especially from traders in Tenbury, about a lack of communication and a feeling that there is not enough information.

But Tesco say that they are keen to talk to people and has been trying to arrange a meeting involving Malvern Hills District Council and Worcestershire County Council to agree a way forward.

“We are keen to meet with the local planning officer and with the highways department of Worcestershire County Council,” Jess Walker added.

This is unlikely to satisfy Mark Willis, Mayor of Tenbury, who has said that not enough information is being given to the town council as the ‘front line’ authority. But Tesco says that he has not been in contact with them.

Tesco also say that there will be an embargo on work in Teme Street during the immediate run up to Christmas so that there is no damage to trade at a vital time of the year.

A delegation of traders from Tenbury has attended a meeting of the town council to make clear its concerns that work in connection with building the new store may have a bad impact upon business at what is the most important time of the year for many shops.

Tesco says that there is not, at present, a clear timetable for the works and this cannot be available until they have met with Malvern Hills District Council and Worcestershire County Council.

“But we have said that we would like to have the supermarket open for late February or early March next year and this remains the case,” said Jess Walker.

One of the issues that could put things back is a delay in doing survey work on some of the cellars of properties in Teme Street.

Many traders in Tenbury are not in a rush to see the project go forward and feel that, after six years of delays, waiting a bit longer to avoid a disruption-free Christmas is something that Tesco has to accept.

Ken Pollock, who represents Tenbury on Worcestershire County Council, has said that while Tesco is free to do what it wants on the former cattle market site it will have to agree any work on the highways with the county council.

One of the issues that will need to be resolved is who completes work on phase two of the Tenbury town-centre improvements. Tesco is providing much of the funding for this and is believed to want its own contractors to do the work.

Tesco will also be making a major contribution of nearly £100,000 to the Tenbury Transport Trust as part of its planning agreement.