Open letter to Councillors

This open letter was sent to Councillors on the East Area Committee in advance of the [abortive] EAC meeting on 17th January 2008.

Dear Councillors,

On Thursday [17 January 2008] you will be voting on three planning applications by Tesco, applications that they need you to approve in order to open a store on Mill Road. Thousands of us think that this store could kill off the unique character of a much-loved area of Cambridge, as well as destroying the livelihoods of local people, making the area even more congested, and greatly increasing the risk of road accidents.

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.”

Other councils have recognised this problem – in Barnet, the council blocked a Tesco Express on precisely these grounds, and it was also a factor in the recent decision by Manchester Council to reject a Tesco Express in Chorlton.

Tesco moving into Mill Road is likely to lead to a net loss of jobs, with many small businesses being forced to close.

Tesco would reduce consumer choice and fair competition, as their involvement in the price-fixing cartel last year showed.

Tesco already have 51% of the market share and 13 shops in Cambridge. The City Council has referred Tesco to the Office of Fair Trading for that reason. We are ranked 9th most Tesco-dominated town in the country. Do we really want to help Cambridge move up that particular league table?

We think the long-term future of this much loved area is at stake. As we’re sure you know, visitors from other towns (and The Daily Telegraph) are amazed to find an area that still has an independent butcher, greengrocer, baker, and so many independent grocery stores. Most towns don’t have streets like this anymore, and once they’re gone, they can’t be brought back.

That’s why more than 5,000 people have signed a petition opposing a Tesco on Mill Road, over 1,100 wrote letters of objection to the council and 600 people marched down Mill Road in protest.

After the march, The Cambridge Evening News said that “When councillors sit down to make a decision on plans for a new Tesco store in Mill Road they need to do one thing – listen to the people who elected them. [The march] sent a very clear message to Cambridge City Council and it would be a scandal if it was ignored”.

We agree. Which is why we are asking you to listen not only to public opinion but also to solid planning objections and join us in saying No to Tesco on Mill Road.

No Mill Road Tesco Committee

See also the traders’ quotes.

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