Plans unveiled this week to expand Tolworth Tower to include new shops and 200 new homes could put pay to Tesco's ambitions in the area, MP Edward Davey has claimed.

Tolworth Tower's owner Targetfollow wants to add residential units, improve car parking, increase retail space and refurbish the tower itself. The number of homes is about a third of those included in Tesco's unpopular plans to build flats and a superstore on the MoD site on the other side of the A3.

Targetfollow plans to build the whole new development within the existing site, with upwards expansion on the existing car park. It would not say how high the building would go, but said it would not be as high as the existing tower.

Tentative early reaction is that the tower plans could be a boost for the area, especially in combination with the £200,000 Kingston Council has been awarded to rejuvenate Tolworth Broadway.

Edward Davey, MP for Kingston and Surbiton, has been vocal in his opposition to Tesco's plans. He said: "Until we see the details of any planning application it would be wrong to speculate too much.

"If a retail expansion is only of existing premises and low-scale then it might prove acceptable and could be the final nail in the coffin, stopping a Tesco at Tolworth."

A formal planning application is expected later this year from Targetfollow. The Norwich-based company bought the tower for £60million and more recently bought the building's freehold for £4.3million.

Development director Julian Wells said: "We are going to work very closely with the council in terms of delivering improvements to Tolworth, including the Broadway."

"In terms of the rejuvenation we are obviously going to make some contribution.

"We are going to improve the offer and activity fronting the Broadway. It's good news for anchoring that end of the Broadway and going forward."

The 21-storey tower currently comprises 300,000sq ft of office, retail and leisure space and 666 parking spaces. Better links to the station and kerbside restaurants and cafés are also part of Mr Wells plans.

Tolworth resident Roger Foster said: "We have enough restaurants and cafés and bars, it is really going backwards, but the finished article is the important thing.

"I am looking at Tolworth Tower out of my window now and I would not like to see another one go up next door. The problems would be the same as Tesco, with the traffic on the roundabout."

Targetfollow said the value of the tower had increased by 50 per cent in a year and rent had increased from £18.50 per square foot to £19.50. The company's success in rejuvenating another of its assets, Centre Point, which like Tolworth Tower was designed by Richard Seifert, also spurred things on.

Mr Wells, who is already in discussion with Kingston Council, said the experience gained there would be put to use in Tolworth.

He added: "Our in-house development team has been working closely with PRC Architects to prepare an exciting plan which maximises Tolworth Tower's potential as a premier office, retail and residential location."

Mr Davey raised concerns about traffic, congestion and pollution, which were major sticking points on the Tesco plans, but added: "I knew that something like this was coming. If this could be combined with the investment from Transport for London and Kingston Council to rejuvenate the Broadway it is potentially exciting news."

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