Tempo warns of Kingston bypass and redundancy

Tempo is threatening to pull out of Kingston, throwing 150 jobs into uncertainty if plans for an improved headquarters are not supported by council officials.

The electrical store put in an application for planning permission last week. It has warned that should it not get the go-ahead for a superstore in Kingston Road, New Malden, a site outside the borough centre, it will move out of the area.

Tempo plans to merge its retail store, opened in the south London location 24 years ago, with its office buildings, which are currently spread around the borough. The current lease on the store will run out in 18 months.

Michael Kraftman, Tempo marketing and technical director, said problems with the application would jeopardise jobs. He said: 'We're committted to having the store adjacent to the offices. If we can't get that, we will look elsewhere. This is the ideal site - the area is perfect for out-of-town retailing.' He stressed that no other suitable sites had been found in the area and employees would be offered the chance to relocate.

Anna Cronin, chief planner at Kingston Borough Council, said possible job losses were not dismissed out of hand in such cases. 'Redundancies can be a consideration for us regarding applications for planning permission, but we also need to look at other planning policies,' she said.

PC products accounted for a third of Tempo's #120 million turnover for its financial year ending June. The outlet sells PCs, printers, peripherals and software.