A CONTROVERSIAL Tesco store will not now be opening in Colchester.

The supermarket chain has planning permission to open an Express shop on the site of the former Cherry Tree Garage, in Mersea Road.

But, yesterday it was confirmed building will not go ahead and the Blackheath site will be put up for sale from April 11.

The decision comes after Tesco announced widespread closures in January, which did not include the Mersea Road site, but did see an end to plans for a store in Butt Road.

It was given permission to open the store by a Government planning inspector in July 2009 after plans were refused by Colchester Council.

Little progress has been made since, however, despite company bosses stating contractors were clearing the way for building to start last year.

Neighbour Belinda Scott said whatever development took place must be looked at in more detail than Tesco’s proposals, which also included 13 homes and parking.

She added: “It would have been chaos because every home now has two cars and there just wasn’t enough parking.

“The site is also so insecure.

My husband has had to bang some of the hoardings back up because they keep falling down, and that’s not his job.”

She added she was not opposed to the site being built on, as long as it wasn’t threestoreys high.

Sir Bob Russell, who is seeking to retain his Colchester seat as a Lib Dem MP, has pursued Tesco for an answer on the site since January’s other closure announcements.

He believes a change in shopping habits is having an effect on supermarket chains.

He said: “What I’m being told is because of an increase in smaller households, people are graze-buying, meaning they’re buying for two or three days at a time and opting not to go to out-of-town superstores – and that is having an effect on the big companies.”

He added: “We are witnessing a slow change in shopping habits but it does not take long before it is felt.”

A Tesco spokesman said: “We have reviewed our proposals for the Blackheath site in Colchester and made the difficult decision not to proceed with plans for a new store.

“We’re grateful to everyone who supported our proposals and will continue to work hard to serve the community from our other stores in the area.”

An announcement on the future of the Butt Road site is expected shortly