Work has started on £20 million expansion of a town centre Sainsbury’s store.
The supermarket at the Angel Centre in Tonbridge is extending into what used to be the Beales department store next door.
Beales has been empty since 2020 after the company went into administration.
The new Sainsbury’s will be almost double in size – 45,000 sq ft – and the firm said the expansion would allow it to increase the product range by 30,000 items.
The conversion of the building will be done in two stages, with the Beales building being upgraded first.
Once that is complete, Sainsbury’s will move into the Beales section so that the store can remain open, while the existing building is upgraded. Finally, the two will be combined.
Ultimately, Beales will accommodate “merchandise” items, while food lines will stay in the existing building.
The expansion will allow the store to stock its Tu clothing range as well as accommodate an extended Argos concession and a bigger Habitat section.
The store will be accessible from both the Angel Lane car park and the Ave Du Puy car park.
Among the changes will be a move of the checkout tills from the rear to the front of the store.
There will also be a Smart Charge Hub in the southeast corner of the rear car park, incorporating six electric vehicle charging points.
The project is expected to create 50 more jobs, with completion possibly as early as June next year.
Patrick Dunne, Sainsbury’s chief property officer, said: “We’re delighted to be starting our construction and fit out work to transform Sainsbury’s in Tonbridge into a completely refreshed, flagship supermarket for our customers.
Tom Tugendhat, MP for Tonbridge, said: “This is a huge vote of confidence in our town. It marks the start of an exciting regeneration of our town centre.”
Council leader Matt Boughton (Con) said he welcomed the start of the Sainsbury’s extension, saying: “It’s long overdue, but very welcome.”
The scheme is a cornerstone of Tonbridge and Malling council’s bid to revitalise the town centre.
In June, it released its “masterplan” for the town, which included hundreds of new homes, a hotel and a replacement leisure centre for the fast-decaying Angel Centre.
The blueprints show 56 homes on the Angel Centre site, 122 on the Sovereign Way North Car Park and a further 99 in Vale West.
The hotel is planned for the Vale Road car park, while a new healthcare facility will be built at the Sovereign Way East Car Park.
A replacement for the Angel Centre, costing £23m, will be built on the Sovereign Way Mid Car Park.
