Slough Borough Council has approved plans for the refurbishment of the lantern tower at Tesco Extra so it can continue to be used as an escape route in emergencies.
The supermarket giant has been carrying out major changes to the infrastructure around its Slough superstore.
In November last year, a staircase tower and disused pedestrian footbridge connecting the supermarket with the rest of Slough town centre were torn down due to the crossing attracting antisocial behaviour.
In April, Tesco Stores Ltd submitted another set of plans for the refurbishment of the remaining rotunda outside the store, also known as a lantern tower, as well as the installation of new lighting and signs.
A design and access statement, submitted on behalf of Tesco by Inspire Design, said the refurbishment of the tower will ‘revitalise the area’ and offer an ‘enhanced shopping experience’.
As part of the proposals, the size of the rotunda will not change, standing at approximately 18 metres in height.
But the stairs inside the tower will only be used to allow access to the ground level as a safe escape route from the supermarket.
The access to the upper floors of the tower – at bridge height – will be restricted for maintenance and emergencies only.
In 2024, Tesco Stores Ltd also consulted with the council after an initial application for a full metal recladding of the rotunda was submitted.
But the council said the proposal was ‘not appropriate’ and suggested that the artwork surrounding the store needed to be protected.
The artwork surrounding the rotunda’s lift shaft was commissioned by the council in 2007 ‘to celebrate the diversity of Slough’.
The design and access statement said: “The imagery suggests the hub of connections and links generating from within Slough and illustrates its success as a community and as a vital industrial and economic base for global technology companies in the UK.”
To protect the art over time and put it on display, vinyl panels and a new lighting system will be added to the inside of the tower door’s glazing.
Recladding panels will also be used to cover the tower which will make the supermarket safer for customers in case of a fire.
A new welcome sign and information board will also be added to the interior of the rotunda’s glazed panels, but the existing lift shaft will be closed.
Slough Borough Council gave the go ahead for the proposals on 11 August.
