Archive for 22nd January 2008

Press release: No Mill Road Tesco Campaign Comments on Tesco’s Decision to Lodge Non-Determination Appeal

Press release: issued 22nd January

We are surprised to hear that Tesco have now decided to lodge an appeal for non-determination when this option has been available to them for several weeks. We can only assume this is because they did not consider that their applications would withstand the closer scrutiny that they will receive in the new planning officers’ report.

Tesco say that the choice to avoid an appeal now lies with the council – presumably if they vote in favour of Tesco. This is precisely the type of arm-twisting tactic that gives companies such as Tesco a bad name. In taking this step, Tesco have shown their lack of respect for local democracy by attempting to pressurise council officers and the councillors before the decisions have been taken.

By choosing to lodge an appeal now, Tesco are potentially costing Cambridge council tax payers money with the costs they will claim from the council. The council has regrettably failed to meet planning deadlines, and Tesco have chosen to appeal before the planning decisions were taken, triggering an expensive legal process. The No Mill Road Tesco campaign, however, has respected every deadline set. This is in contrast to the repeated submission of new information and proposals by Tesco in the last three months – actions that must, presumably, have contributed to the delay about which they now complain.

If Tesco really believe in local democracy, they will withdraw their appeal and allow local councillors to take the decisions on 28th February. Given that Tesco claim to listen to the local community, however, and that they have ignored the 5,000 signatures on our petition and the 1,100 planning objections lodged, this is unlikely to happen.

Tesco say that all sensible perspective has been lost on the issue. That depends on what they think is important. Tesco may not think that their plans to reduce car parking matters, but local residents in a part of Cambridge already renowned for its lack of parking spaces feel differently. Tesco may not think that reversing 10-metre lorries down narrow residential streets every day is important, but as residents of an area with one of the worst road safety records in the county, we disagree. Many of these accidents happen on exactly the kind of street corner where Tesco propose to build their development; they may not think that’s important either, but we do.

We also think it’s important that our local community flourishes as a centre where people can work, shop and live. Evidence from all over the country shows that the proposed Tesco store would threaten that. Tesco may not care about that; we do.

Equally, we think that planning decisions need to be made on the basis of the guidelines that the council have established for themselves, as well as on national guidance. We think that both of these show that the application should be rejected.

We would encourage Tesco to rethink this decision which undermines the normal processes of local government and makes them look as if they are trying to get the result they want by putting pressure on the decision-makers. If they are confident of their applications they can save themselves and everyone else time and money by letting the normal planning process take its course.