From the halfway point in September, a lot of areas of the site are looking more complete, with the sides of the store basically finished, demolition of the youth centre underway, things are progressing nicely for the end of November opening date for the Tesco store. As always I will be documenting everything that I see between now and then.
The above photo is a 3 photo panorama showing the south side of the store and the landscaped area next to the public space.
Above is a view into the old youth centre site, where landscaping work and preparation for paving is continuing at pace.
This photo shows what this area of the site looked before building work started against the background of the store virtually complete. Its incredible how much this spot has changed in just a few months.
Here is one of the photos taken from the same spot midway through the year, just before all of the infill material was distributed across the site and the level of the land lowered.
The photo I was holding here was taken in June this year when the surcharge material was on the Tesco side of the site. Behind the photo is the same position roughly now.
Another comparison, with a photo of the store frame being put up against the same spot on the store now.
The photo above was taken of me holding a photo I took of the site early 2010 against the same position on the site as it is now.
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Now the safety netting has been taken off of the side of most of the store, you can now clearly see some of the vents that sit on the roof. There is still scaffolding on the canopy area as that is still to be fitted with a roof.
Another photo looking at the tramway side of the store, where walls are going up around the prefabricated rooms next to where the Costa outlet will be.
Above is a photo looking along the south canopy area of the store from the tramway station. This side of the store has almost been fully fitted with glass now.
The photo above was taken looking through the windows of the store, where you can see some of the pipes that you will see suspended throughout the store and other things that will be suspended from the ceiling such as lights.
A workman in a mini digger works at the back of the site moving earth into a waiting mini dumper on the other side of the fence.
Close to the skatepark I took this photo looking towards the petrol station area, where street lights have been installed. There is also a crash barrier which marks the edge of the access road as it makes it's way around the petrol station forecourt and towards the store delivery area and the car park.
While looking at the back of the store, I noticed this large container, but what it will be used to store I am not entirely sure. There is a gage on the side though, so it suggests it could be something other than water.
Above is a view looking through the open gate to the old youth centre area, which is already flat and being prepared for paving, In the background, you will also notice that curbs have been put in up to the toilet area, so presumably more trees/plants will be put there.
Here is a photo of one of the water sprinklers keeping the new plants watered in the warm temperatures while work progresses on the canopy areas of the store.
Another photo of the landscaped area to the south of the store. On of the new posts, top left, has been painted in the same color in fitting with other street furniture elsewhere in the town centre.
Another one of my regular spots above looking at the south side of the store on a gorgeous late september afternoon, with the landscaped area being watered by sprinklers.
Here is a photo looking through the gap in the fence on Harbour road, where you can see the access road. Work is progressing here on creating the junction where the two roads will meet.
The view above is one of my regular spots looking north over the car park area, with landscaping material being transported across the site in the digger bucket.
Above is a view looking at the south side of the store, with glass now fitted and paving underway in the public area in the middle. Work seems to be finished on the landscaped area in the bottom of the photo.
Another view of the entrance area of the store, where you can see inside where tiling of the floor is progressing (click for better view) On the left there is also a space that hasn't been fitted with glass, so that could be the main entrance area.
Here is a view of the west of the store, with the public space in the foreground and the south west corner in the background, which will be where the Costa coffee outlet will be in the store. There is a space for a door in that corner of the store, which suggests that there may be an outdoor seating area for Costa.
Above is a slightly higher view of the south eastern corner of the store, with the car park area on the right and a new pedestrian footpath link to Harbour road on the lower right.
Again some more of the landscaped area, but behind it some paving has been laid. This will form the public space and pedestrian link from the town centre to the store.
Another view of the landscaped area to the south of the store, with the area where the youth centre used to be in the distance, before the fence.
This photo is looking beyond the newly landscaped area and onto the south eastern corner of the store, where the main customer entrance will be.
Another view of work on the new road junction here. New curbs are being installed that will widen the road where it meets the junction on the right, with still plenty of spare room for the pavement.
This photo is a view from Harbour road onto the site through one of the gaps in the fence that has been made to allow construction of the new road junction. You can see the road lined with trees and streetlights on either side.
Above is one of the lorries in the car park area dumping a load of material off to be used around the site.
The photo above is a view of the east side of the car park, with the road on the right, newly lined with trees.
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Here is one of the first views a lot of people will get of the store, taken from the Underfleet, looking at the rear of the store, with the roof vents now installed on top of the roof.
This photo was taken on my phone again, but looking through the fence onto the area where the youth centre was, the paving and road appears to have been pulled up, leaving a clear view through to the south of the store.
The photo above was taken using the Hipstamatic iphone app, looking south along the tramway with the fencing beginning to appear alongside it. Apart from a few windows and doors, this side of the store is basically finished.
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In the photo above, you can see a view of the roof of the store from the cliff top above Seaton hole. This will be a view that wont change a whole lot , but I may take a photo here before it opens in November, and then again when work starts eventually on the residential areas in the background.
Another view here, this time of the front of the store through to Harbour road in the south. Work has begun on the road junction on both sides of the fence, with concrete being poured into the manmade ditches on either side of where the junction will be.
Above is a view looking down on the rear of the store and the petrol station area from the cliff top. Work has begun on the fuel storage tanks, with that area surrounded by the access road which has already been laid partially with tarmac.
Here is a view of the south west side of the store, where the Costa coffee outlet will be located. You can also make out the pipes suspended from the ceiling which will also be visible when the store is open to the public in November.
Above is a view into the area where the youth centre used to be where things on site are being prepared for the day ahead.
Above is a view towards the roof of the store, where more or less everything is in place including the large skylights (not in photo) which will provide natural light through the high ceiling into the store.
Another regular view above, looking north towards the store entrance, work was continuing on the pedestrian area in the middle, with the curved path in the lower right of the photo heading down a slope towards Harbour road, which will be one of the pedestrian access routes to the store.
Another view of the landscaped area above, looking towards the town centre with the digger on the left where the youth centre stood.
Here is another photo from a regular spot, where trees have started being planted along the south of the pedestrian area to help decorate it and to screen off the store from the residential areas behind me as I took the photo.
Above is a photo looking into the public realm area, this will be the area that connects with the Underfleet, with the store and the old youth centre space off to my left as I took the photo.
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Above is another view of the store sign, which is very big, you can tell by looking at the size of the workmen behind it.
Again looking across the future residential/recreational area of the site, here is a view of the store, where you can see the first Tesco sign has been installed. The illuminated sign will be attached to this one in the near future.
Looking from east to west, this is a view looking across the fairly weedy area of the site towards the area where the petrol station will be, which the two diggers are working on.
At the back of the site, where grass is growing, I spotted this pretend crow type kite, which I assume is being used to deter seagulls from the site.
Here is a view of the road being built thanks to the gap there is currently in the Harbour road side of the Tesco fence.
Above is a closer look at some of the decorative landscaping work that is going on around the site. This guy was working along the south side planting a series of small trees.
Here is a view looking at the entrance area of the store (south east) with an area where trees/shrubs will be planted in the foreground, and pedestrian area beyond that.
A fairly simple view here of the side of the store sitting on top of the infill material which has been exposed like a cross section diagram.
Taken at the Harbour road/Underfleet junction, this is a view looking at what is now the south west perimeter of the site. A view that I have also captured earlier in the year before work began here.
Above is a very new view, of the area where the youth centre building used to be, where you can now see right through to the Tesco site. Come November this area will be suitably landscaped for pedestrian access.
Another photo of the glass holding framework, from another viewpoint, this is a view of the south west corner of the store.
Above is a photo taken from the same position, but this time looking at the south side of the store as glass framework is installed before the panes go in.
This photo was taken next to the tramway station in Seaton, with one of the trams waiting to depart in the foreground, shadowed by the Tesco store in the background.
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This is another iphone photograph I took looking through the gate to the Youth centre area. You can see one of the machines ripping some of it out. I think a couple of days and it will all be gone with a clear view through to the store behind.
The photo was taken using my iphone as I was walking past the site. One of the digger machines was clearing the trees and shrubbery around the youth centre area. As I took this photo, a tree was ripped from its roots and dumped into a skip.
Here is an abstract photo that I took of the side of the store with the new wooden decorative features and the terra cotta bottom strip against a bright sunny September sky.
Above is a photo taken from the cliffs above Seaton hole looking down on Seaton, with the store clearly visible in the middle. It looks as if some of the skylights nearest to me are already installed with the rest to follow after the weekend.
Above is a photo looking east directly at the store facade, which is basically complete apart from the door and a couple of windows that need filling in.
Above is a wide angle view along the west of the store looking in a southerly direction, with fence posts being installed behind the temporary wire fence and green material put up around the edge of the roof to allow workmen to move the skylights into place safely.
A ground level view above into the goods yard at the rear of the store, where deliveries will arrive.
Here is a view through the vehicle access gate to the youth centre site where the majority of the building has been pulled down leaving just the south and the east of the building left to demolish. Work will then begin on building the pedestrian realm which links the Underfleet to the Tesco store.
Above is a photo of the 1st floor emergency exit of the youth centre building, which has been exposed to the elements.
A close up of the eastern wall of the youth centre building, where you can see the cliff through the window and where the steel roof beams have been cut. This wall will probably come down within the next few days.
Above is a view from the entrance to the tramway with the half demolished youth centre building on the right, the new Tesco store in the middle and the tramway station on the left.
A view above from the tramway station looking along the tracks to the south western corner of the store where you can see guys working on the frame where the glass panels will be placed.
This is one of the more close up photos of the side of the store that I took of the new strips of wood that have been drilled into the side of the store to make it look more interesting.
Above is a clear view looking along the western side of the store, where wooden decorative features have been installed along the side.
Here is a view of the south west corner of the store on sunny Saturday afternoon, where the glass panels are in on this side, with work starting on the panels on the other (south) side of the store. The area immediately inside the glass walls will be the Costa coffee outlet in the store.
Above is a view looking west at the south of the site, where you can see what is left of the youth centre building. You can see through to the other side through its windows as that wall is the only one left standing. In a week, that will almost certainly be gone creating a completely different view from here.
Above is a view at the south of the car park (marked by the fence and crash barrier) where it meets the pedestrian area. In between the dark brown posts and the car park is what will be a path that people can walk up to the store on, which links with Harbour road roughly where site access gate B is now.
The photo above is of the south side of the store, with the pedestrian area in the foreground. The brown area will be landscaped. Work is starting on the glass panels on the south west side of the store, to the left of this photo.
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Above is a view taken of the youth centre building (what remains of it) with the top of the store in the background. This will be the view people get when walking to the store from the town. (when all of the rubble is removed and the area is landscaped!)
The photo above was taken looking at the north west corner of the store which was lit by a floodlight as workmen in diggers where working on the perimeter area of the store, utilizing the space on the tramline before it is back in use in the morning.
The photo above was taken at 8pm looking south from the tramway station. The youth centre building is only half standing there now, which means within a few days, it will be completely gone, it also seems that there wasn't too much of a problem with the asbestos there.
