An artist's impression of Tesco's plans for the Broadwater Road site in WGC, showing the new supermarket in the former Shredded Wheat factory

SUPERMARKET bosses unveiled their plans to convert the Shredded Wheat factory and regenerate the derelict land along Broadwater Road in WGC, at a hastily-convened council meeting.

Welwyn Hatfield councillors fired question after question at the team sent from Tesco’s head office to win them over.

Led by development manager Richard Bowen for Spenhill, the regeneration arm of Tesco, they presented the overall vision for the entire site, which engulfs the area to the east of the railway line, from the old Cereal Partners factory complex to the University of Hertfordshire’s BioPark.

As reported in last week’s Welwyn Hatfield Times, the plans would see a 50,000 sq ft supermarket, a swimming pool, park, care home, doctors’ surgery, pharmacy and around 300 homes.

The £300m development would, say bosses, create more than 500 jobs in the food store alone.

Councillors were highly concerned with many aspects of the development and raised fears the retail heavyweight may build the store and sell off the rest of the site, leaving its future uncertain.

Planning consultant Jim Pool told councillors: “The food store is part of the first phase.

“It’s the catalyst for the remainder.”

But he added it was in the council’s power to legally bind them to the development in the planning process.

* For in-depth coverage of the meeting, buy this week’s Welwyn Hatfield Times, out now.