Clash over drinks sale times at new Tesco in Reading

In the summer, it was revealed that a new Tesco Express store will be opening at the Huntley Wharf development near the town centre.

This new Teso will be located opposite the Forbury Retail Park, which is home to McDonald’s and KFC drive-thrus and big box furniture stores.

Ahead of opening, the supermarket giant applied for a licence to sell alcohol from 6am to midnight each day.

However, a conflict arose as Tesco had applied for more hours than it had planning consent for.

Back in 2018, outline approval for the huge 765-home Huntley Wharf development was approved, which included space for a grocery store.

Condition 61 of the approval limited the hours of the store from 6am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and 8am to 10pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Council planning officer Jonathan Markwell objected to the licensing application, noting the discrepancy between the time limit and hours Tesco has applied for.

Therefore a council licensing meeting had to be called to resolve this conflict.

The unit which Tesco Express is eventually set to occupy in 2025 at the Huntley Wharf development in Reading. Credit: James Aldridge, Local Democracy Reporting Service

Tesco legal adviser Jeremy Bark revealed that the company hopes to open the store in 2025.

Mr Bark said: “These are the hours we would like to trade. We would like to trade until midnight. This is a small store which is not subject to Sunday trading rules.”

He went on to explain how the store is set to operate, with Tesco’s ‘Think 25’ policy for age verification.

Mr Bark said: “Tesco like to think we do the right thing without having to be told.

“We do an awful lot of training. Everyone does induction before going to the shop floor. We encourage and empower staff to refuse sales.”

Of around 5,000 products sold at Express stores,  80-110 of them are alcohol products.

Mr Bark said: “Alcohol sales are a small but important part of what we do.”

To ensure security, three members of staff will have bodycams, CCTV will be installed and the new store will benefit from Tesco’s mobile security team who deal with difficult customers.

READ MORE: Plan for 820 homes at Forbury Retail Park slammed by readers

On the operating times discrepancy, he stated Tesco was in a ‘chicken and egg’ situation, saying that the company is due to submit a planning application to vary Condition 61 to allow the store to operate from 6am to midnight.

Planning officer Jonathan Markwell argued that planning policy does come first in the ‘chicken and egg situation’ Mr Bark referred to.

Mr Markwell said: “My main takeaway from the council’s licensing policy is that maybe the applicant should have submitted an application to amend the  planning condition first.”

The plan for the convenience store at the Huntley Wharf development in Reading, which will be taken over by Tesco. Credit: PRP

Ultimately, councillors decided to approve the application, meaning the Tesco Express can operate from 6am to midnight each day, subject to a planning application amending the operating hours.

The decision was made by councillors Paul Woodward (Labour, Church), Deborah Edwards (Labour, Southcote) and Clarence Mitchell (Conservative, Emmer Green) at the meeting on Tuesday, October 3.

When the store opens in 2025, it will be one of over 3,000 Tesco Express stores in the country and one of over 4,000 Tesco locations in the UK.