Supermarket to close for entire year as council archives leave Aylesbury

Tesco will shut its doors from October 2024 to autumn 2025 while a full refit of the ground floor of the supermarket takes place.

During the closure, Tesco will open a temporary ‘Express’ store in the Eden Shopping Centre to maintain its presence in the town centre.

Tesco is downsizing its current Wycombe superstore into the ground floor only and has renegotiated its lease with Buckinghamshire Council, which owns the building.

The move is to allow the upper floors of the Tesco building to be repurposed into council offices and as the new home of the county archives.

The archives are currently stored at the council’s Walton Street offices in Aylesbury, but the rooms housing the documents and artefacts – some of which are 800 years old – have reached capacity.

Councillor John Chilver, the council’s cabinet member for accessible housing and resources said: “This is fantastic news for High Wycombe residents.

“Not only do they retain a much-used supermarket, they will also benefit from the relocation of an important cultural and historical treasure trove, right on their doorstep in the form of the Buckinghamshire Archives.

“We know how important this supermarket is to residents and helping to ensure its retained presence in the heart of the town centre provides a clear indication of our commitment to supporting positive change within the town.”

Bucks Council currently has maps, photographs, electoral registers and other records in the old Aylesbury building.