Archive for May 2008

Letters to the paper in support of the Campaign

Letters to the Cambridge Evening News continue to come in from members of the public in support of our campaign to stop Tesco forcing its way into Mill Road. Here are a selection.

(More links will be added as articles are published and as time permits.)

Every little hurts

Print out our new Every Little Hurts poster, featuring pictures by John Volynchook of many of the independent traders on Mill Road who would stand to lose out in the face of Tesco’s power.

Wilco site

We understand that squatters have moved into the old Wilco store on Mill Road, the site where Tesco want to open an Express store. This is not connected in any way to the campaign to keep Tesco out of the site.

The No Mill Road Tesco Campaign is not involved in this action and we do not support it.

The fact that squatters could occupy the building is further, unfortunate evidence of Tesco’s failure to properly secure and maintain the back of the site, which has been allowed to deteriorate over recent months. Rubbish has been left to rot in the car park, posing a health risk to local residents, and windows at the back of the building have been left broken.

In the interests of local people, we hope that Tesco will now start behaving like responsible leaseholders and ensure that the back of the site is kept clean and secure.

On the broader question of the Wilco site, many residents of Romsey have become very concerned in recent months about the empty shops on Mill Road in the Romsey area, not just the Tesco site. As a result of this the No Mill Road Tesco campaign has taken the lead in an initiative to try to revitalise the area. Following recent discussions with local Councillors, the initial work and report on this will be made available shortly to other interest groups with the intention of setting up a working party involving local people and groups who want to improve the area – and give Mill Road the shops and facilities it wants and needs.

CEN article: Mill Road traders fear for the future

Small traders are devastated after Tesco vowed to open a store in Mill Road.

The supermarket giant dealt the blow when it made the shock announcement on Friday.

Home - Protest to save Mill Road from a Tesco store

Protest to save Mill Road from a Tesco store

Traders at some of the 13 grocery stores in the street say they now face a bleak future.

But Tesco chiefs have accused traders and campaigners of being “alarmist” and say the store is too small to have a massive impact on other stores.

Tesco will start work on transforming the former Wilco site in July – but face a summer of discontent from campaigners.

The controversial move comes despite massive protests, including a petition signed by more than 5,000 people, a 600-strong street march and more than 1,000 letters of objection.

The No Mill Road Tesco campaign claimed a victory in March when planners threw out a bid by Tesco for an extension to the store.

But it will now use the existing building and only needs planning permission for an air conditioning and freezer plant.

Small traders have been rocked by the news and fear for their livelihoods.

Mrs Magsooda Malik, who owns Hilary’s Greengrocers, said the move will devastate small businesses on the street famed for its unique shops.

She said: “It’s going to close a lot of shops. Everyone will be effected – the Londis, the Co-op and all the other stores. It is devastating for small shops.

“Tesco says they are going to create 20 jobs, but what about all the people who work in the shops that will close? We will keep fighting this to save our street.”

Mrs Vara, who owns Balv’s grocers and Balv’s hair salon, fears that her shops will go under.

She said: “We are very upset. It is going to have a bad effect on all of the shops in Mill Road. I have two shops, and if I have to close one down it will be the end for us here.

“We have been trading here for more than 20 years – longer than most of the shops.

“If we lose our business we wouldn’t know what to do. All we know is working here.

“Tesco say that them opening here won’t affect ethnic shops but we also rely on people buying other goods.

“We rely on trade from students and I think a lot of them will go to Tesco thinking it will be cheaper. The future does not look good.”

A Tesco spokesperson said: “Comments that many local shops will close if Tesco opens are unnecessarily alarmist and don’t contribute to a sensible debate on an issue which is of interest to local people.

“Tesco are proposing a small convenience store, less than half the size of the local Co-op. To suggest that a store of this size could lead to closure of the Co-op and a number of other shops is clearly untrue.

“There simply wouldn’t be enough stock on the shelves and enough space in the Tesco Express to accommodate that many customers.”

Cambridge Evening News, 12th May 2008

Rebuttal to points made in CEN article

On 9th May, the Cambridge Evening News carried an article “Tesco to start work on new store in July“. In our view, many of the points raised were seriously misleading, and seemed to have swallowed Tesco’s PR spin without question.

We publish below a rebuttal of the points in the article, followed by the misleading article itself.


The following is the No Mill Road Tesco Campaign’s response to this article.

“A TESCO will open in Mill Road despite massive protests, the News can reveal.”

Tesco will not open if it does not get planning permission and if it cannot make deliveries by lorry or sell alcohol. The CEN are uncritically parroting the Tesco line that they can take approval for granted. Both the CEN and Tesco made exactly this assumption about the last set of applications, and look where it got them.

“Tesco chiefs confirmed they will forge ahead with opening the shop”

No, we have been told that they are “considering” it – not the same thing at all (You might consider chucking in your job and trying out for Manchester United but that does not mean it’s going to happen).

“Work will start on the former Wilco site in July, bosses have announced.”

They will not start work if they do not have planning permission! In any case, work could not start in July, as Tesco must know. The application, which has yet to be submitted (if it ever is), would have to go back to the East Area Committee. The EAC will meet on 5th June – which would be too early for this application even if it were submitted today. (There would have to be a period for people to comment and then the officers would have to publish their report a week before the meeting) – and the next meeting of the EAC is not until 31 July.

“An artist’s impression of how the new Tesco Express store in Mill Road will look.”

This looks like the drawing they submitted with the last lot of plans. Reissuing it is obviously designed to suggest that they have gone to the trouble of commissioning new drawings, and thus to show that they are serious about the “new application”. They haven’t.

“Tesco bosses have one hurdle left to clear, which is permission for an air conditioning and refrigeration plant.”

So, just like last year, they need planning permission to open their store. The plant, if it’s the same as last time, was identified as not meeting local authority requirements – and it was Tesco’s own acoustic report that said this.

Obviously there is also the tiny matter of not being able to make any deliveries by lorry and not having an alcohol licence, and being highly unlikely to get either.

“An application will be submitted to Cambridge City Council “shortly”.”

That’s very interesting because Raymond Brown told the campaign several times on 8th May that the application would be submitted next week. Shortly is a lot vaguer than next week, and suggests that the decision may not yet have actually been taken.

“Our plans for Mill Road have attracted a lot of attention, but also a lot of misunderstanding. We have always had the consent to operate a shop there, a fact that has often been missing from the public debate.”

Obviously the idea that we did not all know the site was already approved for use as a shop is absurd.

“As with any new store proposal from Tesco, we are keen to talk to any local groups or councillors who wish to discuss our plans.”

Michael Kissman wanted to speak to us in November; we spoke to him in November. He has shown no interest in talking to us since then. The campaign is very much hoping to have the chance to discuss their plans with him in the public inquiry. Suddenly, however, they do not seem to be quite so keen on that anymore…

“The new store will create around 20 jobs.”

This is not true. As the campaign said before, even assuming these are real figures (not just spin), only 2 of these are full time jobs, and they are not net jobs, so you would have to subtract the number of full-time jobs lost as a result of Tesco opening.

“Tesco is reviewing its original plans for an extension.”

Translated, this means Tesco know they are going to lose the appeal and so are considering withdrawing it.

The campaign’s reading of all this is as follows: Tesco are floating the idea of a smaller store both in the paper and in private conversations in order to see if it is likely to be possible (if they will get planning permission and if they will be given permission to make the deliveries they need). If they get the sense that these things will not be forthcoming, then they will go ahead with the appeal because although they expect to lose, there is always an outside chance they might win. If they get the sense that the council will give them the delivery access and planning permission they need for the smaller store, then they will cut their losses on the original plans and go for the smaller store.

It is interesting to note, though, that six of the nine grounds for appeal given by Tesco to the Planning Inspectorate related to the deliveries issue and one was to the air conditioning and refrigeration plant. Whether they try to get permission for a bigger store or a smaller one, these issues are still there. If they do not think their arguments on these points would hold up at appeal, they cannot really think they will hold up at council level either.

No Mill Road Tesco Campaign


Here is the article itself:

Tesco to start work on new store in July

raymond.brown@cambridge-news.co.uk

Home - The site of the proposed Tesco store in Mill Road

The former Wilco store Tesco will replace.

A TESCO will open in Mill Road despite massive protests, the News can reveal.

The supermarket giant yesterday (Thursday, 08 May) dealt a blow to campaigners against the controversial Express store.

Tesco chiefs confirmed they will forge ahead with opening the shop, in a street famed for its unique independent stores.

Work will start on the former Wilco site in July, bosses have announced.

The existing building will be used after an extension was refused by planners – but the No Mill Road Tesco campaign still has a glimmer of hope.

Home - New Tesco

An artist’s impression of how the new Tesco Express store in Mill Road will look.

Tesco bosses have one hurdle left to clear, which is permission for an air conditioning and refrigeration plant.

An application will be submitted to Cambridge City Council “shortly”.

Campaigners claim the store would cause traffic hell, pollution and threaten the future of independent shops.

More than 5,000 people signed a petition against the plans, 600 marched in protest through Cambridge and more than 1,000 sent letters of objection.

The Cambridge Cycling Campaign has also opposed to the move, fearing congestion from added delivery lorries as well as dangers to pedestrians and cyclists.

On March 6 councillors from Cambridge City Council’s East Area Committee approved two planning applications for a cash machine and new store frontage and signage.

Permission to operate a shop on the site already existed.

But councillors cited highway concerns when it turned down a bid by Tesco to extend the building for storage, plant and staff areas.

Since then expert designers have been drafted in to draw up plans for the existing building, as the News reported.

Those plans have now been approved by Tesco bosses who are calling in a team of contractors to complete the store.

Michael Kissman, Tesco’s corporate affairs manager, said: “We couldn’t have opened the shop we originally planned without the extension, but we have reviewed the site and developed some plans that will deliver a great shop for customers using the existing space.

“Of course, the store layout and range will be slightly different, but it will still offer a good range of fresh food and basic shopping items.

“Our plans for Mill Road have attracted a lot of attention, but also a lot of misunderstanding. We have always had the consent to operate a shop there, a fact that has often been missing from the public debate.

“I can’t imagine anyone wants this shop unit to sit empty any longer. Our plans will bring the site back into use and improve the frontage – this can only be good for the local area and economy.

“As with any new store proposal from Tesco, we are keen to talk to any local groups or councillors who wish to discuss our plans.”

But Ruth Deyermond, a spokeswoman for the No Mill Road Tesco campaign, has vowed the fight will go on.

She said: “We do not expect to see a Tesco in Mill Road. It is not economically viable and local people will carry on the successful campaign against it. We do not believe Tesco will get planning permission. We will fight it.”

The new store will create around 20 jobs.

Tesco is reviewing its original plans for an extension.

Cambridge Evening News, 9th May 2008

Press release: A smaller Tesco on Mill Road? Why it won’t happen

Press release, 5 May 2008

We understand that one of Tesco’s PR representatives is currently claiming that Tesco have decided to open a store on the old Wilco site on Mill Road without the extension that they have spent almost 2 years planning and arguing for. (Their proposed extension was refused by the council in March and is currently the subject of an appeal by Tesco to the Planning Inspectorate.)

We have been told that Tesco have drawn up new plans that now enable them to bypass the planning process and open without the proposed extension – despite the fact that they previously told the council planners that this would be impossible, as the documentation sent to the Planning Inspectorate confirms.

There are a few problems with Tesco’s claim. Even if they were able to operate a profitable store despite a reduction in the proposed shop floor of nearly 40% – which would be the amount of the existing store taken up by their “behind the scenes” stock storage, waste storage, office, staff facilities, bakery, etc – they would still face the following obstacles:

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