TESCO looks set to sell the former Smiths Industries site in Basingstoke after it shelved controversial plans to build a new supermarket there earlier this year.

The supermarket giant is expected to put the land up for sale in the next few weeks.

A Tesco spokesman said: “Our priority is to work with the local authority to find appropriate alternative uses for the site as soon as possible, including putting it on the market in the coming weeks.”

Dave Lewis, chief executive officer at the supermarket chain, announced in January that the company would be shelving its unpopular plans for a new store, on the old Smiths Industries site, in Winchester Road.

The move was part of a programme to close 43 UK stores and scrap plans for 49 new stores because of its poor profit performance.

In a statement at the time of the announcement, Mr Lewis said: “It is with a heavy heart that I am today announcing that we are unable to proceed with 49 planned new store developments across the UK, including our plans for a new store in Basingstoke.

“Our performance as a business has fallen significantly short of where we would want it to be and my absolute imperative has to be to protect the future of our business for the 300,000 colleagues we employ in communities all over the UK.

“I am very aware of the importance of the site to the area and I am determined that we will work closely with the council to find the right solution for the local community.”

Tesco had made its latest and third controversial application to build a store on the site in November last year.

In addition to the supermarket, which would have created 200 new full or part-time jobs, the company proposed 48 one, two and three-bedroom homes.

In July 2012, Tesco was refused planning permission to build a 63,000sq ft store there, and an appeal against the decision by Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council was dismissed in April 2013 by the Government’s planning inspectorate, due to the impact on nearby shops.

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