I would encourage as many people as possible to read the submission documents before making their submission.
As many regular readers of this blog will know, I have stated all along that I have no objection to Tesco, which is why I don't actively support the TesNO group, but the more I read and understand the planning application, the more I feel there is still a long way to go.
Even individual submitted document such as the Car Park Management Strategy and the Transport Assessment contradict each other.
For instance one states
The right for non-patrons to park on the site will be removed.
whilst the other says
Tesco support and encourage linked trips between the store & the town centre.
Due to the lack of parking provision, apparently Worcester County Council have asked Tesco to limit parking to two hours. This seems to me to be a very short amount of time to do a linked shopping trip. (But perhaps I stop and talk to too many people)
There also seems to be a perhaps understandable but unforgivable misunderstanding of various local circumstances which invalidate their data.
For instance
Tuesday morning, Tenbury's traditional market day is when Tenbury is at its busiest. Yet no traffic survey was undertaken on this day. Instead a survey was carried out on a Saturday afternoon, which may be busy in most towns, but is when Tenbury is at it's quietest.
The report says Tesco will provide a new Bus Shelter on the South bound side of Teme Street. Very worthy, but if my analysis is correct, the majority of buses either terminate here or this is their last but one stop.
They have taken a very naive view of public transport, and have either completely misunderstood what is available or have deliberately misunderstood.
The report lists numerous bus services, but again the vast majority of these would be of no use to either shoppers coming in to Tenbury or potential staff.
There is talk of a freephone to a local Taxi firm. As far a I know there isn't one and the availability of private hire vehicles, especially at short notice is very scarce.
I'm sure that the documents are littered with other inconsistencies, so get reading and make sure you comment.
Posts
69 comments:
Do people realise that the on-street parking on Teme Street will go? And that Tesco staff will use some of the 101 spaces? Say 15 spaces lost from Teme Street, and 10 staff spaces, then 101 spaces is really 76 - hopeless for a store of this size. Twice that might do the job. At busy times shoppers could end up parking in Greenhill Close - will residents mind? People complain about Bowketts parking but Bowketts have more parking spaces (Royal Oak plus Market Square) than Tesco's 76, relative to their store size!
(Some on-street parking on Teme Street will go.
Having said that, a high percentage of the on-street parking spaces are blocked all day by cars belonging to people living in the flats above the shops. Additional spaces are taken (incredibly) by the shopkeepers and their staff. It is a fair guess that some of the 50% of Tesco staff unable to park in the store car park will want/need to park elsewhere in town, and their first choice may also be on-street.
In a rural area such as this, the bus services are designed to take people from Tenbury to Worcester (& infrequently other places) and then bring them back again. The chances of more than a very few potential staff member living on a bus route is very small and the chances of the buses running at a time to suit the beginning and end of a shift smaller still.
For instance, the first bus into Tenbury (from Eardiston) doesn't arrive until gone 10 am.and the last bus leaves at 16.30.
It is slightly better from Kidderminster (Arrive 9.25 & depart 17.15) but there are only 5 buses each way a day and some buses take over an hour to do what would be a 20 minute journey by car.
All the other routes are run too infrequently to be of any use.
We have just come back home after a month away, so I was unable to attend the Pump Rooms on 6th. However, just like last time, I wouldn't have been able to go if I had been in the country, as I would have been either at work or on my long commute from Birmingham.
I feel that Tesco have made little effort to engage with the town's population as a whole. People who are available during the day in the working week do not make a representative sample of a community. Most professionals (and many non professionals) have to work a long way away from Tenbury. Then again, I guess many of this group are less likely to be influenced by Tescos offer of cheaper prices, which is all some of the 'yes' campaigners seem to go on about.
If it's good for Tenbury then I want a supermarket, but its about more than just the price of goods locally. I am far from convinced that what is on the table currently is good for Tenbury, so at the moment I guess I am an objector.
tenbury wants to make there minds up now that a site in burford is waiting for them tenbury wants themto come .WHAT IS WRONG WITH TENBURY.
There is nothing wrong with Tenbury ,thats why people dont want Tesco .Check MHDC website to see how many people have wrote in for a Tesco in the town, is it TWO!!!
Quote : "Do people realise that the on-street parking on Teme Street will go?"
I personally would like to see parking restricted outside spar, as the road is hardly wide enough to have parking on both sides of the road. Stopping parking outside spar would reduce traffic jams as the traffic would be able to flow more freely.
I think, and I have said this before on here, that by adding a small 10p charge like in Ludlow to park on street,(on the lloyds bank side of the road) coupled with FREE parking in the MHDC car park would improve the parking situation in Tenbury a great deal by encouraging more people to use the car park and freeing up cheap car parking on street.
Alternatively, (although I don't think the council would accept it), we could aim for free parking both on the street AND in the car park!
When the on-street parking was reviewed a few years ago, parking was allowed outside of the Spar (previously it was a much ignored yellow line) specifically as it acted to slow down the traffic.
If the existing rules aren't enforced there is no point putting metered parking on Teme Street unless it can be enforced.
I believe the Town Council may shortly be considering charging for the Palmers Car Park.
i dont no why people are moaning about the parking in tenbury they park where they want to anyway.talking about parking where are the mother and baby parking.dont they want the young in tenbury.
i dont no why tesco dont revamp the town the council are asking them to do everything dont they want to use there money.
Tesco plan includes a number of mother & baby spaces.
Come on people OBJECT. Yet again more against than for. Shows Tenbury doesn't want or need tesco. So come on tesco go away
Shows nothing more than those for the plan don't want to be publicaly (sp) outted when they still have to live and shop in the town.
look if everyone stayed true to there word and shopped in their local shops nothing would have to close or change but i say ......... BRING ON TESCO.
More against than for shows you everything
All it really shows is you don't understand the planning system. I bet you can't find a single application for a major development with more letters for than against.
If so many people want it why don't they write in and say so. If they don't it means they don't really want it but say they do to keep friends/family happy
I am an TesNO supporter.
It appears that benefit the TesYES people have is to improve the parking in town - valid and comments that i support.
There are numerous posts witrh regards the perceived pitfalls and benefits of the Tesco plan with regards parking - and even som of the supporters seem to see that this.
Instead of dividing the town with a Tesco, why not be progressive and address the parking issues.
Would it be too radical to suggest that the cattle market be turned into a proper car park, use the old Brights building for the museum and other civic uses as well as put in some "units" for small business. Moving the skips, and adding more to allow more recycling would also allow MHDC to meet its government imposed recycling figures.
Moving the skips comes more into focus if the proposals go ahead to alter the Palmer's carpark and build some sort of sports facility. It is time that a more cohesive plan is put together and not treat each issue in isolation -is this not what the town council should be doing? - Representing the entire community as a whole.
Several challenges with your otherwise good suggestion.
1. Creating a proper car park on the cattle market site would be great but there are several problems. (a) Under the existing local plan, it wouldn't get planning permission. (b) Who would pay for it. The cost of the site and groundworks would far exceed any likely income for decades. Councils have no money for this kind of capital investment.
2. Moving the recycling centre to the Cattle Market would not be aloud by the Environment Agency due to is flood risk category.
3. A Sport Centre has been planned for Palmers but despite years of work by a large number of people they failed to get funding. (It wasn't helped by the Rugby Club being unable to support the application)
WR15, yes, all "challenges". We are however surely approaching a fait d'accompli. If the local plan does not allow houses to be built there, and IF Tesco's get knocked back then the land can only really become an extension to the Burgage - requiring landscaping etc or a Car Park. It has been muted that the local plan is being revised...
You rightly highlighted that cost implication - if the land is "worthless" as a development site then value of the site would be far less than thet paid for it by "Mr" Chase. If the approach suggested is adopted then funding could hopefully be sourced from multiple sources, both local and national. I am not suggesting it would be an easy tak, however it is surely one that needs to be appraised.
Skips - If a similar scheme were adopted to that in place at Leominster, although not as grand, ground levels could be raised. Asmittedly a bund of some sort would need to be incorporated but his has to be a far less risk approach as there would be less risk to life than any "inhabited" development.
WRT the Rugby Club - i am not aware of the full details surrounding the objection. I however beleive that these would have been based on the "Penlu" factor, a somewhat complicated arrangement.
My suggestions may indeed not be the golden bullet, however we should grasp the oppurtunity to engage with the town whilst we have a catalyst to do so and hear what the town wants to do with the various plans and schemes - i would wager a pint or 2 that the majority of the town is not aware that some of the towns parking may be taken away if the sports pavailion is to go ahead.
How many of the town are aware that a large engineering company on the edge of town that wants to expand - creating real jobs, but currently can't; if the business can't expand it may up and move leading to job losses - there are some reports that this is also due to Tesco....
Surely it is time for an open and honest debate - we are a small town, it shouldn;t be too difficult to get an update out to everyone - unless of course there are secrets to be had!
I believe there were plans to alleviate any loss of Parking from the development next to the swimming pool with a realignment of the sports pitches and extension of the Car Park, but I didn't see the final plans.
If the Tesco plan fails (which I believe it may do on planning grounds) and they do not appeal (which I think they would win) then the ground does loose some value, but I think it would still be possible to build a smaller supermarket (& yes I do believe there is sufficient trade in Tenbury to warrant this) and possibly some small business units and of course Car Parking.
I am not yet convinced about the full "truth" behind the "power" story. I have my own views which it would not be sagacious to share here at this time.
It would be quite astonishing if the Town Council agreed to levy a charge in the currently free car park. Who would enforce the regulations? Would income exceed enforcement costs? What effect would it have on the leisure centre? It would be a serious step in the wrong direction. Tenbury Town Council needs to be encouraging shoppers not driving them to other local towns.
By-the-way, I don’t think the statements "The right for non-patrons to park on the site will be removed” and "Tesco support and encourage linked trips between the store & the town centre" are at all contradictory. They are entirely consistent. Presumably the statements mean what they say: if you are not shopping at Tesco you will not be able to park on its car park; if you are shopping in its store then you may leave your car there (albeit, perhaps, for a limited period) whilst shopping elsewhere in town.
Sorry, Yes, I wasn't entirely clear. The statements contradict the verbal assurances given to the Town Councillors and others that the car park would be a "Town car park" which people could use even if they didn't shop at Tesco.
Ian, confusion and contradiction, sums up the application nicely! I repeat, time for the entire mess to be put into the open and not shrouded behind bureacratic babble - either the town council and/or the district council need to step up. We are not, god forbid, asking them to make a decision just to clear the water...
Just looked on the MHDC planning site and as of this eve [5th Nov] there seems to be approx:
170 letters - only about 5 of which aren't outright objections against Tesco's revised plans.
'TesNO' plan to take approx 200 other individual complaint letters from local people in to MHDC on monday 8th Nov.
I'd estimate as such about 350 > 400 local planning objections being in the system by monday.
Tesco have manipulated the 'facts' put out since day one on these applications so they look more attractive to people. When you start to look a their plans in detail though it becomes clear that they're full of inconsistencies and holes..
I agree with some of the suggestions above - lets opt for a blended use of the site - one that the whole community can feel that they've had their say on and one that helps address some of the real needs locally.
Interesting comments about Tesco et al being cheaper than the supermarkets in Tenbury. Bowkett's compare prices weekly, every week they are cheaper on like for like items; this week i believe they are advertising that milk and eggs are cheaper....
Not to mention that the likes of Bowkett's stock and promote significantly more local produce than the big boys. Even if Tesco were to stock the excellent Ludlow brewery beer for instance it would go from Ludlow to Bristol to come back again.... where as local shops get it directly from the brewery.
KEEP IT LOCAL.....
Wake up to the 21st century and get over it.The land is zoned for retail and will produce a hefty income via the Rates.The site has laid vacant for years and selective memory is preventing individuals remembering ,what it was like with massive stock wagons and tractors clogging up all approaches when the market was there.Find something else to fill your sad lives and let the town evolve not stagnate!
We live in the 21st century. The 21st century is where people don't want a global giant taking over little historic towns. Tesco will not provide what they say.
150 jobs
Where? A store that size wont employ that many people.
Flood defences?
NO! Only to slow its process so TESCO ARE ABLE TO EVACUATE. It won't stop the town flooding!
Bring people into the town?
Yea of course it will but do you think they will park up in the TESCO car park which will have a 2 hour time limit walk round Tesco buy what they need get to the checkout where many others will be by time they get served it will be 20 mins gone. Do you think they would have enough time to go up town to the local shops? Of course not. They will do their shopping in Tesco and leave.
This bringing in more traffic. More traffic equals traffic jams. We already have problems with this do you want it to get worse?
This Tesco store will be the only store that the deliveries have to go through their own car park to unload. This is dangerous. They will be delivering during the day and do you people want a lorry negotiating up the car park while your children are walking towards the store? Its an accident waiting to happen. One injury or death will be ONE TOO MANY!!
Tesco lorries will clog up the bridge and if a fire engine needs to get past at that particular time guess what! It won't be able to. It will slow down the emergency services which one day people may need.
Tenbury needs to stand up and take note. TESCO WILL NOT BENEFIT TENBURY.
All Tesco think about is their back pocket.
Once the competition goes their prices will rise.
It is now down to MHDC to do the decent thing and refuse this application.
I have allowed the above entry without moderation, but would like to point out that some of the comments are incorrect, so read with caution.
Whats untrue? if it's untrue why don't you say what part? Unless you trying make Tesco look good?
I'm not trying to make Tesco look good, but as you wish to remain anonymous I am liable in the event that they wish to take issue. I have challenged certain things such as "they will put up their prices...." a number of times already. They have a national pricing policy so that won't happen. There are a number of other factual inaccuracies but I don't feel inclined to keep pointing them out. If you prefer I will just delete your comments.
Lets go with statements that connot be refuted as they appear in the planning application and come from the mouths of Tesco!....
From the 101 parking spaces proposed one must deduct those used by staff and
visitors. It would also be appropriate to deduct the number of on-street parking spaces that would be lost, to allow for
displaced cars. This might leave only 70 spaces. If shoppers used the proposed two-hour allowance only 35 spaces
would come vacant each hour. At the consultation in Tenbury it was stated that the maximum projected inflow of cars
is 175 per hour (excluding seasonal peaks) so 35 spaces coming vacant each hour would be grossly inadequate.
With regards the national pricing policy.....O how a pocket load of Club card points or vouchers can influence people, IF Tesco do keep to there "National pricing strategy" they will shower homes with vouchers.....amounting to much the same as falsley dropping prices.....
He bangs on about national pricing policy but if I were to drop into 2 similar sized stores I would find prices different
As I have said before. Do it and present the evidence.
Tesco claim to have a national pricing policy.
If this is incorrect I am sure the Daily Mail (who appear to publish many anti Tesco articles) would be happy to highlight your findings.
we do need another supermarket in tenbury dosent matter what store either tesco, aldi, asda or even a morrisons we do need something as bowketts are expensive on a weekly shop compared to the other stores i have mentioned. i dont know what people have got against tesco its beyond me we do live in the 2oth century bring everything up to standard and let tesco build
20th century was over 10 years ago we are in the 21st century. Like I said we don't need anything to comet close down shops. And wr15 only because tesco say they have a national pricing policy doesn't mean they actually do. They also say they will employ 150 people but they won't. Get me THEY LIE!!!
Tesco advertise their prices in national papers so they must have a national price policy
The prices they advertise in the papers are national promotions .What about all the other prices?.
yes but the thing is the prices they advertise then thats the price you pay and i can tell you its a lot cheaper than spar, bowketts or even the co operative
Give some examples then please
They advertise PROMOTIONS!! So that does not mean a national pricing policy.
Take a look at the objection a Mr Khan has sent in on the MHDC website regarding the Tesco application .Take a note of the pictures to see what Tenbury is really like WITHOUT additional traffic that envitabley Tesco would bring with them. One word GRIDLOCK!!!
Is there no where tesco won't go. A church. A place or worship. Just shows they don't care
The only people that were worshipping there were alcoholics and drug dealers! The Church had been empty and derelict for three years. Seems to make sense rather than demolish it and build new. In fact they restored it's original architectural features which had been previously "modernised" unsympathetically.
No it shows they don't care it's a place of worship a derelict church is not an eyesore there is plenty round the countryside. You should NEVER sell alcohol and cogs and lottery in a place of worship regardless of state the building was in
No it shows they don't care it's a place of worship a derelict church is not an eyesore there is plenty round the countryside. You should NEVER sell alcohol and cogs and lottery in a place of worship regardless of state the building was in
No you should just let it crumble and be inhabited by criminal elements until it becomes unsafe then board it up and leave it as a eyesore for ever!
Utter rubbish!
It's not an eyesore go round Herefordshire and look at all the derelict churches ask the residents near by if it's an eyesore they would all say no it's part of the tractor of the place.
There is a difference between rural Herefordshire and Bournemouth City.
Wr15 are you Tenbury born and bred. Or do you come from a city because you sound like a city person to me. Country people have culture they see a noce building that was used for worshipping they see a beautiful building regardless of the state of it. City people jut love thongs too modern.
A church is only a holy place of worship if there are parishioners willing to go to services and, er, worship, after which it is only so much bricks and mortar.
This country has lost so many fine churches because they fell out of use and then slowly decayed back into the earth through neglect, vandalism, arson etc etc in this case the evil Tesco has saved this one.
I have seen churches turned into cafe's, crèches, shops, factories and even skate parks, they are still wonderful places for the community but with the old fabric, history and sense of security of the building preserved for future generations by means of a cash injection through modern 21st century living.
Tesco will soon outgrow this location or bow to pressure after which it may, god willing, be used for something other than it's intended use which sits better with certain consciences, but I must wonder if there would have been so much backlash if it had been turned into anything other than a Tesco ?!?!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-11743842
The spokeswoman added: "The money from the sale though has gone back to the local church group so that they can use it to enrich their community and develop the way they worship.
"Some people have suggested we should be angered by it but there are far worse things happening that we are worried about."
It would appear that although not ideal the 'church' has used the money for good deeds and they're right, there is far more important stuff to worry about.
I must admit that I'm in two minds ref the re use of a church scenario..
While I see that there's an argument that they're unique buildings and part of the vernacular architecture of the British landscape... I do also see that some kind of re-use rather than letting them crumble to rack and ruin/become dangerous could save the building potentially for future generations though.
Having said all that I can see why a supermarket [in the Bournmouth case] - especially the ubiquitous Tesco re-using that one could potentially cause offence to some..
Personally I'm interested in the blended use of such spaces [if their primary use is waining in some way or they're in need of other incomes] like the 'Cafe @ All Saints' in Hereford. This seems to me to bring a whole new set of people in contact with the lovely old building - while remaining relatively discreet and bringing extra income..
we are in the 21st centry but i dont think tenbury is.and i no tesco is going to do mother and baby parking.but where is it now in tenbury NO WHERE.
Saying same old stuff 21 century o wait no lasttime you said 20 century til I corrected you so shows your bot thinking about Tenbury just your back pocket
I would prefer to walk with my children if i go shopping, its more healthy and it saves on the environment.
What happens when you get there and cannot park in the mother&baby spaces? The parking will be a total joke (not enough spaces for the size of store)It may be quicker to go to Kiddi and back before you find a space .
Yes Anonymous people may be thinking of there back pocket and im sure a lot more will do so after xmas when the vat increases to 20% as it will hit every one
Yes everyone including tesco. Their vat goes up too so what's your point.
For many years I was responsible for finding new uses for redundant Church of England places of worship. I can assure you that Tesco are by no means the first supermarket giant to make use of them. J Sainsbury acquired the former St George’s church in Wolverhampton nearly a quarter of a century ago. They restored the church building as part of their supermarket development.
This is slightly off topic but related. Although I live on the outskirts of town, I work in Birmingham and have been away for a lot of the past few months..... have I missed a bit of a shopping revival going on in town? I had a walk through the town the other day with time to stop and look around as opposed to whizzing through, for the first time in ages. A dress shop, a bespoke cake shop, children's goods, Carpet shop...
I know some of the new shops are relocations but it's lovely to see so many of the shops occupied. I note with great delight that the shop next to Andrew Jelly's is now for sale - its been empty ever since we moved here in 1987 and has been such a waste of a good frontage.
The threat of Tesco is obviously not preventing new business opportunities or expansion of existing ones (although tempting commercial rents currently may be a factor).
Anyway, I just thought it was worth noting :) I remain undecided about Tesco but I may end up in the "I would prefer it not to be a supermarket but anything is better than nothing' camp, not a happy place really.
The lack of empty shops in Tenbury is great. A number of other relocations are due shortly and as far as I know only one closure scheduled.
Anyone interested in opening a shop, now is a good time. A small start up grant is available from MHDC and Business Rates are currently being rebated.
Full details of all the shops are available on http://tenburychamber.co.uk/stroll/
or click the link above.
I agree with Lesley. It is very encouraging, especially in the present economic circumstances. But beware the New Year . . . that does worry me.
A start-up grant? What a well-kept secret!
No a secret at all. Depends on what you read and who you meet with.
The start up grant isn't huge but (dare I say this at the moment?) every little helps. The page below gives details of the start up grants and also contains details on the small business rate relief mentioned above and other funding opportunities.
http://www.malvernhills.gov.uk/cms/business/grants-and-finance.aspx
Like Ian, the next couple of years worries me too but I congratulate those who have dared to bite the bullet and I'll make every effort to support them.
Yes i know tescos vat goes up as well but with the fuel rising those who travel out of town to shop at the bigger stores as they find a weekly shop in tenbury to expensive then a store in town would benifit them as they would save on fuel costs,where and tear on there veichle
Do a monthly shop .Instead of travelling four times a month you only travel once SIMPLE.Remember 'every little helps' so they say .
Funny that Tesco have stopped putting there food pricing info on the comparsion websites. Why would that be do you think.....?
Which site? They are still on the ones I've checked?
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