Planners to rule on Tesco expansion
Residents are being urged to object to plans to expand Tesco ahead of a meeting next month.
Tewkesbury Borough Council's planning committee will consider whether to allow the supermarket to expand by 25% at a meeting on June 3.
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Brockworth Parish Councillor and resident Godfrey Browning has called for neighbours to the site to voice their objection.
He said: "I think Tesco is as big as it needs to be.
"I would much rather see a lot more competition here, which would be a good thing for the customers.
"Instead, Tesco wants a monopoly."
Mr Browning has also criticised the new plans over the location of the disabled parking bays.
He said: "They were placed at least 50 yards away from the store, while able-bodied people could potentially park closer. I think this is a nonsense."
Mr Browning added: "We all know Tesco made £3bn profit last year and they obviously made this from their customers.
"The customers are important so their views should be heard."
The plan also includes the building of 52 apartments on a neighbouring area of land.
Brockworth and Hucclecote parish councillors objected to the plans for the Delta Way store to grow by 1,302sq metres when they were asked as part of the consultation process.
Planners have advised that, if successful, the developer Frontier Key Ltd would have to make financial contributions to the community under Section 106 or planning rules.
This would include a £141,000 donation towards a multi-use games area and other community facilities.
A spokesman for Tesco said: "Given that the area is destined for growth, it's important we invest in the store to keep up with that growth – to be able to have an attractive store that continues to meet the needs of local people.
"It will give us the opportunity to serve our customers better and provide more employment in the area.
"We are not the ones applying for the planning permission, it's the developer who has proposed it, but it's obviously still our aspiration to expand and we would commend it to the committee."
Plans can be viewed online at www.tewkesbury.gov.uk
5 Comments
by Digger, Brockworth
Monday, May 18 2009, 11:54AM
“"I want to see a lot more comptetion here" says Geoffrey Browning. Does he mean construction of another supermarket? Tesco wants to expand in an almost empty business park and rpovide residents with income and oportunityy so why all the fuss from parish councillors who obviously have no idea what Brockworth residents need. How many councillors are job hunting at the moment. Such hypocrisy from people who really should know better..”
by Tim B, Waterwells
Sunday, May 17 2009, 11:59AM
“Isn't it time that the council boundries are changed to reflect the real world. Brockworth sould be part of Gloucester not Tewksbury! All they do is DUMP thier housing allocations onto the outskirts Cheltenham and Gloucester. They allowed the business park to be constructed there!”
by matthew, linden
Friday, May 15 2009, 8:49PM
“Out of town superstores only nab the existing groceries market from others - ie putting local shops out of business. As they close, people will be forced to make polluting car journeys out of their neighbourhoods to the only remaining 'choice' - these big stores. Most of the wealth generated by superstores does not go to Gloucester (or whichever town) but to company tax havens. Most of the employment created is low paid. Good for Gloucester? Think again.”
by resident, Cooper's Edge
Friday, May 15 2009, 10:41AM
“It seems to me tha the Parish councilers are against any for of development within their parish as this is not the only story i have read in the past few weeks of them objecting to i.e new care home . I think its tiem they loked at the bigger picture and realise this one of the few areas left to expand within the city”
by brockworth, resident, glos
Friday, May 15 2009, 7:18AM
“I for one am up for the expansion. typical busy body parish!
Tesco, hardly have the monopoly, morrisons and sainsburys are both ten minutes away and bigger? there are also several co-ops dotted around hucclecote and brockworth!
In a time while most of the factories on the park are making reduncies surely this expansion will create more jobs? and therfore is a good thing?????
I think the parish are forgetting that tesco is on a BUSINESS park, and the best move for there BUSINESS is to expand.”