the No Mill Road Tesco Campaign

By Rachel Extance

Protesters say we may see scenes like this more often with a new Tesco.

CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a Tesco store on Cambridge’s Mill Road claim it will cause traffic chaos.

Members of the No Mill Road Tesco campaign group have been talking to people living near the Chesterton Tesco Express about what deliveries are like.

They say there is “constant noise” and large HGVs turn up four or five times a day. Residents living at the Mill Road end of Sedgwick Street also complain about large numbers of cars pulling up outside the shop and being parked illegally while people nip in for groceries.

Tesco want to extend the former Wilco building in Mill Road, install new signs and a cash machine to make an Express store.

The plans were to be decided last month but planning chiefs decided the report councillors would base their decision on did not go into enough detail.

The issue will now come before Cambridge City Council’s east area committee on March 6 but Tesco has decided to lodge an appeal with the planning inspectorate because the council has taken so long dealing with its application.

No To Mill Road Tesco say the city council states one of its five overall objectives in the Local Transport Plan is objectives ‘to minimise the adverse effects of transport on people and the environment’ and say their research shows Tesco’s application will do the opposite.

The campaigners quote a resident living opposite the Chesterton Tesco Express store who describes how lorries would turn up at 5.30am, despite deliveries not being allowed until 6am. The time has now been moved back to 7am but deliveries take place on weekends as well as Monday to Friday.

The resident said: “The reversing into place outside the shop involves the ‘bleeping’ and then crashing as the tail lift is put down. There is then constant noise as trolleys are pushed up and down the length of the lorries.

“There are a minimum of three deliveries per day and in actual fact there are more like four to five per day. This is because there is a separate bread delivery, then a milk delivery occurs, directly from separate companies, followed by Tesco’s own lorries.”

Public consultation on the applications runs until February 21, anyone who has already submitted their views does not need to do so again.

Cambridge Evening News, 14th February 2008

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.

• Tesco’s tactics (14th February 2008)
• Facts wrong (7th February 2008)
• Not snobbish (2nd February 2008)
• Star letter (31st January 2008)
• Tesco effect (31st January 2008)
• Money tantrum (31st January 2008)
• Show respect (31st January 2008)
• Just avoid Tesco (29th January 2008)
• Tesco too greedy (24th January 2008)
• Traffc concerns (24th January 2008)
• Safety issues (22nd January 2008)
• Keep fighting (17th January 2008)
• Mill Road hurray (13th December 2007)
• Vibrant, active (5th December 2007) (in response to this letter)
• Tesco intrusion (3rd December 2007)

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

CAMPAIGNERS have fired a furious volley at Tesco bosses after they “bulldozed” council planners.

The No Mill Road Tesco Campaign has accused the supermarket giant of “arm-twisting” and “disrespect” after it bypassed slow moving councillors over plans for its store in the street famed for unique shops.

Continue reading ‘CEN article: Tesco protesters hit out at ‘arm-twisting’’ »

Richard Boast wants a few questions answered by the No Mill Road Tesco Campaign, in a letter to the CEN; well, we’re always happy to help.

Continue reading ‘‘I want the facts’ - CEN correspondence’ »

[We contacted the journalist responsible for this piece to follow up various inaccuracies. Following our press release, the CEN subsequently issued another news article which gives better coverage.]

ANGRY Tesco bosses have bypassed slow moving councillors over plans for its Mill Road store, the News can reveal.

Continue reading ‘CEN article: Tesco in shock Mill Road move’ »

This is the version of the article printed in the Cambridge Evening News on 17th January 2008, and is similar but more extensive than the online-only version published the night before (on the 16th January).

by Rachel Extance, Local Government Correspondent

CAMPAIGNERS against plans for a Tesco store in Cambridge’s Mill Road have been given a last-minute stay of execution.

Planning chiefs at Cambridge City Council have taken the scheme off the table for Thursday night’s east area committee after deciding the report did not go into the issues in enough detail.

The decision to postpone came shortly before 5pm last night, taking campaigners and Tesco by surprise.

The decision has only just been made - taking campaigners and the supermarket giant by surprise.

Tesco has applied for permission to extend the former Wilco building in Mill Road and install new signs and a cash machine to create an Express store.

Planning officers had recommended the plans for approval despite a massive public backlash against the idea.

More than 5,000 people have signed a petition against the plans, and more than 1,100 have written letters of objection.

Campaigners were expected to turn out in force to protest at Thursday’s council meeting which had been booked into a larger venue - St Philip’s Church in Mill Road - to make room for the large numbers of people expected.

But now the council has decided the planning reports were “not comprehensive” enough and said the applications will be debated another day.

The No Mill Road Tesco campaign submitted a complaint on Tuesday to the council saying the report on the extension was “substantially incomplete”.

A spokesman for the campaign said: “We are glad that the council have taken our concerns seriously with regard to the incomplete planners’ report and we are confident that when it does come before the councillors, they will acknowledge the strength of public opinion and the strong planning grounds for refusing the applications. We are still confident the applications will be turned down.”

Coun Ben Bradnack, who represents Petersfield, had written to say that detailed objections did not “benefit from detailed answers within the body of the report” and raised issues of refuse arrangements, road safety and car and Cycle parking.

Peter Carter, principal development control manager for the city council, said: “We just don’t think the report is comprehensive enough.

There are a whole series of issues involved. We looked at it earlier in he week and were prepared to run with it, we’ve looked at it again and decided we would prefer not to run with it.”

He said officers would discuss with committee chairman Coun John Durrant when the issue would next be approached.

Michael Kissman, corporate affairs manager for Tesco, said: “We are surprised and will look at the reasons. We do think we’ve still got a strong application in for the signage, cash machine and storage extension.”

Cambridge Evening News, 17th January 2008, printed edition

CAMPAIGNERS against plans for a Tesco store in Cambridge’s Mill Road have been given a last-minute stay of execution.

Planning chiefs at Cambridge City Council have taken the scheme off the table for Thursday night’s east area committee after deciding the report did not go into the issues in enough detail.

The decision has only just been made - taking campaigners and the supermarket giant by surprise.

Tesco has applied for permission to extend the former Wilco building in Mill Road and install new signs and a cash machine to create an Express store.

Planning officers had recommended the plans for approval despite a massive public backlash against the idea.

More than 5,000 people have signed a petition against the plans, and more than 1,100 have written letters of objection.

Campaigners were expected to turn out in force to protest at Thursday’s council meeting which had been booked into a larger venue - St Philip’s Church in Mill Road - to make room for the large numbers of people expected.

But now the council has decided the planning reports were “not comprehensive” enough and said the applications will be debated another day.

The No Mill Road Tesco campaign submitted a complaint to the council saying the report was “flawed” .

A spokesman for the campaign said: “We are glad that the council have taken our concerns seriously with regard to the incomplete planners’ report.”

Cambridge Evening News, 16th January 2008, 5pm

CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans for a Tesco store want residents to make their feelings clear to councillors.

Members of the No Mill Road Tesco campaign say most of the public back their bid to stop the supermarket giant opening an Express store on a street known for its independent shops.

On Saturday, campaigners walked from Cambridge’s Guildhall to the proposed site of the store, the former Wilco building on Mill Road, encouraging people to attend the crucial council meeting where the final decision on Tesco’s plans will be made.

Cambridge City Council planning officers have recommended to the east area planning committee that it approve the scheme when it meets at St Philip’s Church on Mill Road on Thursday at 7.30pm.

Sonia Cooter, co-ordinator of No Mill Road Tesco, acknowledged that some residents do want the store but believes that view is misguided.

She said: “People think this will be like the Tesco on Newmarket Road, but it will be a Tesco Express.

“The shopping basket comparison on our website is completely genuine. It shows that independent stores on Mill Road are cheaper.”

Ms Cooter believes a Tesco Express would end the Mill Road shopping experience known to generations of Cambridge residents.

She said: “The special character of Mill Road is all based around small, independent shops.

“If people want to have their say, they should contact their councillor and they should come to the planning committee meeting.”

Cambridge Evening News, 14th January 2008

[This article mentions that some objections came from abroad; however, it fails to make clear that the vast majority of the enormous number of applications came from local residents. The Tesco spokesperson also fails to address the fact that there were no supporting letters submitted whatsoever.]

By Raymond Brown

Protestors against the new Tesco store.

CAMPAIGNERS against a Tesco store have been dealt a cruel blow.

Continue reading ‘Blow for Tesco Mill Road campaigners’ »

CAMPAIGNERS are making a last-minute bid to sway councillors who will decide whether controversial proposals for a Tesco store in Mill Road, Cambridge, should go ahead.

The No Mill Road Tesco committee has sent a heartfelt open letter to members of Cambridge City Council’s East Area Committee asking them to reject the proposals and “protect the vitality and viability of Mill Road”.

Tesco has applied for permission to extend the former Wilco building in Mill Road and install new signs and a cash machine to create an Express store.

More than 5,000 people have signed a petition against the plans, and more than 1,100 have written letters of objection.

But planning officers at Cambridge City Council have recommended the plans for approval.

Campaigners are not giving up hope.

The letter reads: “While you consider the planning officers’ reports and our detailed response to them, which we have sent to you, please also think about the following things:

“Tesco want to drive 10m lorries and other delivery vehicles the wrong way down a one-way street at least 30 times per week until 11 o’clock at night. Their ‘just in time’ policy means it is likely to be much more than that.

“The side streets of Romsey are already extremely congested and hazardous for pedestrians and cyclists.

“Tesco want to remove 18 car parking spaces from an area of Cambridge with huge existing parking problems, even though the store and its cash point would generate much more demand for parking spaces in the area.

“The Local Plan requires you to protect the vitality and viability of Mill Road. All the evidence shows that a Tesco Express would force small, independent businesses to close. In the words of one local trader: ‘I fear Tesco’s biggest impact will be on the independent spirit of Mill Road. We won’t be able to compete financially.’” They claim Cambridge is England’s ninth most Tescodominated town and ask: “Do we really want to help Cambridge move up that particular league table?”

The East Area Committee meets at St Philip’s Church, 185 Mill Road, tomorrow (Thursday, 17 January) at 7.30pm.

Cambridge Evening News, 11th January 2008