July 2010

PB2_9401.jpg, originally uploaded by Kenn Jordan.

Final salvos exchanged in Tesco battle

This is Surrey Today

Friday, July 30, 2010, 08:00

RESIDENTS and businesses both for and against plans to build a Tesco supermarket in Ashtead have had their say.

The views were aired during a week-long public inquiry looking into two rejected planning applications to build a supermarket at the former Esso site in The Street, Ashtead.

Among those who had their say was Gillian Russell, the founding member of the Save Ashtead’s Village Environment (SAVE) campaign group, which has opposed plans for the supermarket giant to build in the village.

Along with the Ashtead Residents’ Association SAVE raised £25,000 needed to hire a planning expert and barrister.

Miss Russell, of Woodfield Lane, said: “It was obvious from the outset that on planning grounds the proposal was totally inappropriate and thus SAVE was borne. But even I have been overwhelmed by how enormous and powerful a movement it rapidly developed into.”

She added: “We want to save our village from becoming a clone town. The proposed stores are simply too large for the site…

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Whitby Tesco protestors claim victory

The Northern Echo

6:31pm Thursday 29th July 2010

By Andy Walker

CAMPAIGNERS fighting to halt supermarket giant Tesco building a £40m superstore look to have claimed victory – after councillors dramatically threw out the application.

More than 400 members of the public attended a marathon four hour planning meeting this afternoon at which the proposed store, in Whitby, North Yorkshire, was debated.

Almost 4,000 people had signed a petition objecting to Tesco developing the land owned by a group of nuns.

Helen Barker, of the campaign group Whitby Residents Against Tesco (Wrats), called it a “victory for common sense”.

The meeting of Scarborough Borough Council’s planning committee was held at a college to accommodate the large crowd…

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Objectors make final plea in bid to defeat Tesco

Get Surrey

By Guy Martin
July 28, 2010

A LAST-DITCH plea has been made by villagers determined to defeat Tesco as tempers flared during a public inquiry looking into plans for a store in Ashtead.

Groups and individuals claiming to represent most villagers have asked a government planning inspector not to allow either of the supermarket giant’s two applications to go ahead.

Tesco wants to build at the former Esso site in The Street and has had plans for stores with floorspaces of 989 sq-m and 750 sq-m rejected by councillors.

But the supermarket appealed against the decisions and both applications have now been put before the inspector in a public inquiry at Pippbrook in Dorking.

As the inquiry entered its second week, the strength of feeling over the issue was shown as Tesco’s barrister accused a speaker of questioning his professional integrity, while a trader claimed those supporting the plans had remained quiet for fear of threats.

Gillian Russell, founder of campaign group SAVE (Save Ashtead Village Environment) and a neighbour of the Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall car park – which Tesco customers would use – has strongly opposed the plans.

Miss Russell said on Tuesday: “Despite what people outside Ashtead might perceive us to be, residents here have the psyche of villagers and we perceive ourselves as a very strong village community…

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Tesco development would ‘destroy Ashtead’s village spirit’, planning inspector hears

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Epsom Guardian

3:21pm Tuesday 27th July 2010
By Paul Teed

Campaigners fighting a proposed Tesco in Ashtead have told a planning inspector the supermarket would irreversibly destroy the village’s community spirit and culture.

Gillian Russell, founder of Save Ashtead Village Environment (Save), said the group feared the new store, on the former Esso site, in The Street, would turn Ashtead into a “clone town”.

More than 1,230 villagers – 23 per cent of households – have written letters or emails opposing the plans, and raised thousands of pounds towards Save’s campaign, a public inquiry heard.

Miss Russell said: “These developments would suck the life out of Ashtead where our independent retailers are an essential part of our life blood…

Tesco, dirty tricks, and the battle over a new store in rural Norfolk

The Independent on Sunday

By Martin Hickman
Saturday, 10 July 2010

A bitter fight about a proposed superstore has turned uglier still

Campaigners fighting a decade-long battle against the arrival of a planned Tesco superstore claim they have been sabotaged by “dirty tricks” involving the fabrication of letters of support.

Claim and counter-claim have been flying thick and fast in Sheringham in Norfolk for years over the proposed arrival of the £62bn-a-year retail giant but the latest twist has surprised even seasoned observers.

Dozens of “residents” purporting to come from the town have had letters published in local newspapers in recent months, backing the arrival of Britain’s biggest retailer and criticising an alternative scheme put forward by a local landowner and Waitrose.

After becoming suspicious at what appeared to be a sudden groundswell of support for Tesco, campaigners began investigating the letters and asked residents and postmen whether they knew the correspondents.

No one did and publicly available electoral and phone records for the streets on which they claimed to live indicate that the pro-Tesco letter writers do not, actually, exist.

For the past 14 years, Tesco has been trying to open a supermarket in the middle of affluent North Norfolk. Seven years ago, North Norfolk District Council signed a commercial agreement with Tesco, undertaking not to assist or promote any rival scheme on its land or land owned by Norfolk County Council, including prime sites in the town centre.

Its planning officers have repeatedly backed Tesco’s proposal but in March councillors defied the advice by rejecting Tesco’s application for a 1,175 sq metre store – the fourth time in six years they have rejected a Tesco application…

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Lines drawn in battle of Tesco

Surrey Today

Friday, July 23, 2010, 08:00

TESCO says massive opposition to its plans to build a supermarket in Ashtead is “galling”.

In its opening statement at Tuesday’s public inquiry into two separately rejected plans to build a Tesco supermarket at the former Esso site in The Street, the company refuted opposition claims by both the council and residents.

Christopher Katkowski QC, representing the supermarket company, said: “In overall conclusion, it is ironic and more than a little galling to find Tesco’s proposals to build a supermarket in a district centre met with such opposition.

“But once all the emotion is stripped out of the equation and one analyses the issues raised with a cool head, it is apparent that there is no overriding reason to reject either of the schemes.”

Both sets of plans were rejected by Mole Valley District Council after massive opposition from residents of the village…

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Public inquiry over Tesco business property plans underway

UK Business Property

Posted by Darren Purse

Thursday, 22nd Jul 2010

Proposals for a new Tesco commercial property in Ashtead, Surrey, are currently being examined as part of a week-long inquiry into the development.

Tesco would also like to build housing on the same site as the business property, but Mole Valley District Council previously turned down the plans, the BBC has reported.

Michael Kissman, spokesman for the supermarket chain, said: “It will create more jobs for the area, more shopping choice and obviously bring good value products and our range to the town.”

However, some residents have expressed fears local business property owners could be negatively affected by the move…

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Public inquiry considers Ashtead Tesco store plan