Plans to build a new Tesco on a busy A30 roundabout have sparked fears over traffic and safety – and there seems little Surrey Heath Borough Council can do to stop it. 

The American Golf store on the Jolly Farmer roundabout in Camberley could to be converted into a Tesco Express. 

Under planning laws however, it is a simple retail-to-retail switch, which means it does not need its own separate application, and a highways safety assessment.

It leaves the borough council with few options but to try to get the new store “on people’s radar”, while officers  suggested going down a formal complaints route – but only after it is built.

The issue was raised at the July 21 meeting of Surrey Heath’s executive committee by Councillor Shaun Garrett, the leader of the Conservative opposition.

He said there were three planning applications for the site, that were submitted in June 2025; one for a new door, one for a new sign and one for a new air conditioner – but none can be brought up on traffic grounds.

He said: “I wanted to voice a concern.

“What’s known as the Jolly Farmer Roundabout / American Golf Roundabout… I’ve been made aware…that there is a Tesco Express going on to that rather busy roundabout.

“My concern is that there is no change of use because it’s still retail, so it doesn’t need to go through the normal planning procedures. 

“The fact that this roundabout is suddenly going to get a load more traffic and, if Tesco delivers in their normal HGVs, they would probably struggle to get an HGV into said car park.

“I would like to see if there is anything we can do with the county or highways to maybe mitigate any problems in the future.”

Officers told the meeting the existing American Golf site, in planning terms, is considered a Class E site, as would the proposed Tesco and therefore did not need a planning application. As a result there is no consideration of highway impact.

They told the meeting: “From a planning perspective it’s true to say we are restricted in terms of considerations and the highways impact won’t be considered in the broader sense as a result.”

A likely fix would be to raise complaints after the store had opened either on environmental health grounds or traffic issues.

He said: “But beyond that our powers are very limited.”

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