Tesco has won a four-year battle to open a store in Harefield, Uxbridge. 

After several appeals and petitions, the final decision to allow the supermarket giant to open a Tesco Express in the village was made by an inspector appointed by the secretary of state for communities and local government.

Atul Sodha of Londis, Harefield. who led an extensive campaign to block it from opening, was disappointed that the store had been given the green light.

“I’m gutted,” he said. “The secretary of state has let this village down. The landscape of the village is about to change massively.”

He added that there was overwhelming local opposition to the Tesco store. “At four separate planning meetings 100% of Hillingdon councillors voted against the application and we had more than 3,000 people sign petitions against it.”

Over 20 conditions were placed on the application including construction work only to be allowed between 8am and 6pm on weekdays, deliveries to be made by special 8.4 metre vehicles and to only take place between 7am and 6pm on weekdays, and from 8am to 4pm on Sundays.

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