Victory for No Mill Road Tesco!
Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting at St Philips Church last night, Thursday 6th March. The church was absolutely packed, and councillors were greeted by a row of pictures of Mill Road traders, held up by campaign supporters, to remind them what is at stake. The debate took place in the presence of hundreds of local people, and councillors listened to arguments about the impossibility of Tesco delivering safely and legally to the site, the huge impact on road safety and congestion that would result, the environmental impact of the plans and the noise and light pollution that would result for nearby residents.
As well as the campaign, speakers against Tesco included the Cambridge Cycling Campaign, Friends of the Earth, City Councillors Ben Bradnack and Raj Shah, and County Councillors Nichola Harrison and Alice Douglas. After discussing the arguments, and consulting with the planning officers, the East Area Committee voted to reject the planned extension unanimously, and to contest the existing appeal.
This is a huge blow for Tesco. Although planning permission was granted (with a split vote) for signage and an ATM, and there is no change of use required, since the point was so emphatically made that they could not deliver safely either to the rear or the front of the site, any shop they open will not be able to be stocked!
This will obviously not be the end of the fight, but it is a very important victory. Thank you to everyone for your continued support in this community fight to defeat Tesco.
