Temporary Tesco for Burnt Tree Island

A temporary store to keep shoppers happy will be installed at Tesco at Burnt Tree Island while a new supermarket is built at the site.

The firm is ploughing ahead with plans to provide a smaller outlet for the thousands of customers who shop at the Town Gate Retail Park in Birmingham Road.

Bosses had been considering whether to transfer hundreds of staff who work at the 24-hour store to other branches while work on the rebuild takes place. There were worries opening a makeshift branch could delay construction.

Tesco corporate affairs manager Tony Fletcher said the temporary store would be built on another part of the site away from the main construction work so would not cause any disruption. He refused to reveal the cost.

"There will be a temporary store there so people can do their essential shopping in the meantime," he said.

The permanent new build, which will be double the size of the existing store, is likely to take less than a year to complete. Mr Fletcher said it was hoped work would be able to start at the site early next year with a view to opening the store some time in 2011.

It is thought the layout will be on two levels and shoppers will be able to park, collect a trolley and then use the travelator.