the No Mill Road Tesco Campaign

Tesco appear to have installed an air conditioning or refrigeration system at the back of the shop.

There seem to be pipes coming out of the back (where we believe there used to be a window), leading up to the roof.

Tesco have been twice refused permission to install air conditioning when they applied.

We are seeking clarification on whether plant has indeed been installed at the back of the site, and if so, when formal confirmation was given to Tesco by the planning department that no further planning permission was needed, and any data supplied by Tesco to show that there would be no noise impacts from the plant.

David Howarth, Cambridge’s MP, has copied us in on a letter he has sent to Sir Terry Leahy, CEO of Tesco.

Mr Howarth, who incidentally is also a lawyer, writes:

Dear Sir Terry

I was surprised and disturbed to read that Tesco plc is planning to ignore planning conditions that prevent deliveries to the front of the proposed new store in Mill Road, Cambridge. (See attached news story).

Is it really Tesco policy to ignore those planning conditions or laws it does not like? Is Tesco expecting the local authority to turn a blind eye to this proposed law-breaking?

If it is, I wonder whether Tesco would turn a blind eye if some of its customers decided that they did not wish to obey the law on shoplifting.

I hope you can reassure me on this matter.

Yours sincerely

David Howarth
Member of Parliament for Cambridge