TESCO has said its plans for a new store in Bicester will go ahead, despite announcing it would close 43 stores across the UK.

The supermarket chain announced the closures on Thursday but has not yet confirmed which stores will be shut.

Another 49 planned new shops will not be built after Tesco’s profits dipped.

Tesco spokesman Jack Pearson also confirmed the company would continue to progress plans for a new store in Thame.

Yesterday Tesco chief executive officer Dave Lewis sent a letter to Cherwell District Council leader Barry Wood, pictured, to confirm the Bicester supermarket would still be built.

In the letter Mr Lewis said: “We’ve carefully reviewed our planned new store developments across the country and it remains our intention to open our planned store in Bicester.

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“We continue to believe that the store will provide a valued service to the local community.”

The proposals for the new store include 87,564 square feet of floorspace, a petrol station and eight car parking spaces.

It would be built off Oxford Road and would replace the existing Tesco store beside Bicester Village.

Tesco would not confirm what the future was for its other Oxfordshire stores.

It has refused to disclose the full list of closures, stating it wished to notify “local councils and stakeholders” personally rather than have them “read about it in the media,” a spokesman said.

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