Tesco to open in Churchdown in the Autumn

“Coun Whelan "people think Churchdown is a village".
Just to clarify Churchdown IS a village. As a member of the Parish, Borough and County Councils surely Coun Whelan should know this.
He should spend less time being derogatory and more time enhancing village life”

“Coun. Bill Whelan welcomes Tesco and its predatory pricing. Let's hope Tesco don't cover their frontage with the same plethora of advertising as GL3 opposite which now looks like a tacky used car lot.

Once Tesco have forced the local Co-op to close they will be able to increase their own prices. It should be remembered that the Co-op is owned by its members to whom it pays a dividend, not by City shareholders. The Churchdown Co-ops are convenience stores not supermarkets, so have bigger overheads than supermarkets with their much greater floor area.

The Co-op has highly ethical policies. Do you want to save a few pence by buying lesser quality at Tesco?

Councillors only wanted Tesco because they are paying for improvements to the Hare and Hounds road junction. Planning permission was granted in defiance of residents' wishes.

"Up to" 100 jobs? In 2008, Tesco promised to create 6,000 new jobs in the UK – but managed to add on just 503 FTE (Full Time Equivalent) jobs.
In 2010, Tesco pledged to create 9,000 new jobs in the UK. That equated to (FTE) jobs of 3,592 – less than half of the number of new jobs promised. http://tinyurl.com/6sq92de”

“Thomas1996, at £18,200 gross that is £8,300 below the UK average and includes unsocial hours. While I appreciate that shelf stackers may not have to have higher educational attainments that's still £160 a week short of the average wage.
Working on average calculations, tax code 522L, average rent cost of £706 per month, average council tax of £99 per month the person earning this wage after tax, national insurance and their monthly rent would be left with just £89 per week.
Almost certainly they would be entitled to some form of benefits on this wage such as child element of working tax credit. Is it right that the Government should supplement the wages of employees who are paid low wages by employers who made £1,600,000,000 profit last year? Or should employers be forced to pay a reasonable wage instead?”

“Do you also get a discount on the horse burgers, Thomas?”

“Beekeeper, actually at £7.14 per hour starting rate - Tesco pay more per hour than Co-op, Asda, Morrison's, Sainsbury's and even Waitrose.

Tesco night shelf fillers earn well over £350 per week.”

“Good news if you want convenience food and poorly paid part time jobs.”

“I cannot help feeling that it would have been a good site to re-locate the Doctors surgery too, rather than build yet another Tescos. Where the surgery is at the moment, there is very little patient parking considering it is a large practice, and has outgrown its present location. The old hurrans site, is not that far from where the surgery is at present, so would not have presented too much trouble in getting there from its present location. It would have provided plenty of parking for patients, save them scrabbling around the side streets trying to park in time for their appointment. A surgery would cause lot less disruption than lorries turning up at all hours to deliver goods on and off a busy main road, and not affected the value of the houses either side.

In answer to your question Walker, as to who will set up in competition when the Co-op closes? Easy Tesco will doubtless snap up the two Co-op's, in their quest to take over the world !!”

“Councillor Bill Whelan (LB, Innsworth with Down Hatherley) who is chairman of GL3 Community Hub opposite the Tesco site said: "It's been a long time coming.
"There was a lot of opposition because people think Churchdown is a village and shouldn't have a supermarket but it has a population of some 11,000 and a bit of competition for the Co-Op will be good."

Bless you Bill, and who will set up in competition with Tesco when the Co-Op closes?”