Supermarket giant Tesco says it has ‘no plans’ to take over a former Arnold town pub after the go-ahead to turn the space into a shop.
The former Eagle pub, in Howbeck Road, Arnold, closed down earlier this year after almost 50 years.
It had faced uncertainty in the past, including a sudden closure in May 2024, before reopening.
Following its 2026 closure, it was listed for sale, seeking offers around £550,000.
In March this year, plans were submitted to Gedling Borough Council to change the use of the empty space from a pub into a shop unit, impacting the ground floor only and leaving the upstairs residence unaffected.
This has now been approved by the authority, meaning the empty pub will be turned into a shop, but documents have never stated which business or retailer intends to take over the space, describing them only as the “proposed end user” and that they would submit separate plans for signage in future.
A former landlady previously said the pub had been purchased by a supermarket chain.
Back in April Borough Council leader, John Clarke (Lab), said the “street” rumours circulating was that Tesco could end up moving in.
Tesco already had – and has – a presence on the road. In May 2023, the Tesco Express in Howbeck Road – just opposite the former Eagle pub – closed down.
The spot was then replaced by One Stop – which is owned by Tesco – where the convenience store has remained ever since.
We asked Tesco on Wednesday (September 2) whether it had plans to move its brand, including One Stop, into the former pub.
Tesco confirmed on Wednesday that it had ‘no plans’ to open a Tesco Express store on site.
More recent planning documents have called the proposal a “convenience store”, but so far, no other application for the address has been submitted to indicate which business wants to take over the site.
The future of the new shop will likely be unveiled at a later date once a separate application is submitted for signage.
Documents say the proposed opening hours for the shop would be 8am to 8pm, Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sundays and bank holidays.
