Editing Tolworth (section)

== Tesco-owned former green fields ==
An 11-acre site bounded by the railway line serving Tolworth to the east, the A240 to the north and Hook Rise South & the [[A3 road|A3]] to the West.  Plans were drawn up in the 1930s for the site to be used for circa 130 family homes in a similar style to much of Tolworth – this was part of a larger development to be known as the "Station Estate" (see above).

As part of the war effort, the land was taken over by the Ministry of Works and developed from green fields in the 1940s. It became an extensive but discreet development of low single-story brick building covering the majority of the site.  It remained in Government hands for a variety of uses from the [[Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom)|MAFF]] and [[Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)|Ministry of Defence]] to the [[Directorate of Overseas Surveys]]; in its heyday it was reported to have employed over 1,000 people.  It was finally vacated by the last 370 [[Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (United Kingdom)|MAFF]] staff in October 1998 in preparation for sale.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/kingstonnews/8676916.Tesco_relaunches_bid_for_Tolworth_superstore/ |title=Tesco relaunches bid for Tolworth superstore |work=Yourlocalguardian.co.uk |date=19 November 2010 |access-date=7 November 2012}}</ref>

[[Tesco]] purchased the site by private treaty in 2002, meaning it was never offered for sale on the open market.<ref name="Save Tolworth, Stop Tesco">{{cite web |url=http://www.everylittlehurts.co.uk/web/?q=node/8 |title=Save Tolworth, Stop Tesco |publisher=Every little hurts |access-date=7 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116201821/http://www.everylittlehurts.co.uk/web/?q=node%2F8 |archive-date=16 November 2011 |url-status=dead  }}</ref> In 2000 the vacant possession value of the site was stated in Hansard as being £9.6&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web|author=Department of the Official Report (Hansard)|url=https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/vo001130/text/01130w03.htm |title=Lords Hansard text for 30 Nov 2000 (201130w03) |publisher=Parliament of the United Kingdom |access-date=7 November 2012}}</ref> A number of surrounding buildings were purchased by Chinacorp, a developer working with [[Tesco]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/news/988278.print/ |title='Eyesore' office building faces the wrecking ball (From Bucks Free Press) |publisher=Bucksfreepress.co.uk |date=26 October 2006 |access-date=7 November 2012}}</ref>

The site is zoned by the local authority, Kingston Council, for residential and community use.  The site has been subject to a number of planning applications for the construction of a retail store of up to 89,000 sq feet and up to 660 dwellings in buildings up to 12 storeys high.<ref name="Save Tolworth, Stop Tesco"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/environment/planning/major_planning_applications/tesco_tolworth.htm |title=Tesco Tolworth |publisher=Government of the United Kingdom |date=21 June 2012 |access-date=7 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130409141436/http://www.kingston.gov.uk/browse/environment/planning/major_planning_applications/tesco_tolworth.htm |archive-date=9 April 2013 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

Tesco sold the site in 2015 to developer Meyer Homes, who got permission from the [[Planning Inspectorate]] in July 2019 for a 950-home development (including a new nursery, doctor's surgery and police building).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.surreycomet.co.uk/news/16361693.work-begin-soon-largest-kingston-development-50-years/ |title=Work to begin soon on largest Kingston development in 50 years |date= 18 July 2018 |accessdate= 19 July 2021}}</ref>