A few weeks ago Tenbury Town Council voted in favour of the new Tesco development on the Old Cattle Market site, but they have now decided in light of new evidence that they wish to discuss the matter again and re-vote.
A meeting has been scheduled for next Monday, but if the format is the same as the last meeting there will be no opportunity for members of the public to speak.
The Town Council have received a number of letters about the development, including one from a couple who live on the Isle of Man. They wrote to say that in their opinion Tesco shouldn't be allowed to open a store in Tenbury as their local high street had been ruined by competition from Tesco. What they, and many Tesco objectors still don't take into consideration is the proposed store isn't a Superstore (which on average is twice the size of the proposed store) and will therefore carry fewer lines that will compete with local shops. All of the criticism I have seen published refer to Superstores or Larger (most or all of which aren't located directly in the High Street).
I think that there are still defects with the application, but decisions shouldn't be swayed by incorrect comparisons. Many shops have opened and closed in Tenbury through the years and will continue to do so with or without Tesco.
Far better to concentrate on the defects in the application such as their complete misunderstanding of the available public transport which they feel could be used by staff and shoppers alike.
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The proposed Tesco is very big considering the population of Tenbury. Would it be the largest Tesco in a town of under 4,000 people? Usually small towns get a Tesco Express, not a full-blown Tesco, which is what is proposed for Tenbury. Even Bridgnorth Tesco is only Express.
In light of the changed situation with the s106 grant monies [meaning that Tenbury gets little or no additional facilities i.e. additional parking etc] alongside proposed store development.. I think a number of Councilors there last night were wondering "just what is Tenbury going to get out of having a Tesco store now?"
In addition, we hear from MHDC Clr Grove that there are "800 or more" objections to the plans submitted now. Although these don't all come from the town - they do represent a large swathe of people from the locale who do shop in Tenbury and who clearly don't want this development and who fear the worst [like the Isle of Man scenario mentioned] for Tenbury's High Street.
Personally I think you've got to think proportionally as regards store size and effect on the highstreet. The proposed devt is still a superstore in Tenbury terms. If it's devt and usage patterns follows many others across the UK [in the recent Llandod scenario] then Tenbury's highstreet will clearly be affected negatively.
I note too that the Financial mail has just done an expose on "the big four" for irregular pricing in smaller branches - despite generic price pledges. This potentially means that if Tesco get in here then they could lower their prices to undercut local food shops at will.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/money/article-1329412/Superstores-mini-branch-mark-ups-revealed.html
To add to my earlier comment about Tesco's pricing..
I've just come off the phone with Mark Bradley of EM Bradley Ironmongers in Llandrindod Wells. Mark is also the spokesperson for the re-formed Llandod chamber of Trade.
He states that "Tesco have adopted a predatory pricing policy here..". In particular they've singled-out [or "hammered" in Mark's words] the local highstreet Co Op and Boots the Chemist. With key products that overlap, they have notices next to them on Tesco's shelves stating "30% cheaper than Boots" and similar with the Co-Op's goods. Clear evidence then of Tesco trying to overtly undercut local competitors.
In addition, the Guardian Article from 24th Jan 2007: "Smaller players struggle to beat aggressive pricing" discusses how Ludlow Tesco pointedly did a blanket local mailshot of vouchers discounting their own goods just before the new Harry Tuffins on the A49 opened there. Well guess what - similar has happened in Llandod. The Tesco there has done a blanket mailshot to shoppers offering "a £10 pounds voucher back when you spend £30 in store" - in other words.. "Don't spend anywhere else - look how we're discounting much more than out competitors locally".
Is this really what we want in Tenbury? A Tesco store that aggressively discounts against our fragile highstreet shops? Rowland's Pharmacy beware!
Question is, the price that is 30% cheaper, is that a special offer to that store or the national price.
Because if the Boots price is 30% higher than the national Tesco price, then why shouldn't local shoppers be able to take advantage of that?
Rowlands are a national store not a local shop, and they are also on the expensive side!
It's clearly not beneath Tesco to aggressively undercut local businesses. As such it could easily read:
"20% Less than Barn Farm Shop"
"30% Less than Swift's the Baker"
and
"10% Less than Clockhouse Butchers"
At present the town has the choice on whether to push for this scenario or not.
Gone on WR15, admit it your really are Mr Leahy in disguise aren;t you...
Those signs are already in Bowketts. Well they say cheaper than Tesco. (Although they don't always compare like for like)
I compare my prices with other retailers. I can see why people would want to support local shops for service, or friendliness, or politeness but not because they are more expensive.
It has already been demonstrated that Bowkett's is comparable in price, if the items they are comparing are not like for like i trust you have pointed that out to shop management - or will you be running directly to trading standards? if not i suggest you stop or be careful.....the thread seems to always be "We want cheap"...really, does everyone want the Tesco experience?. Those of us who don't, and there are a lot of us, accept that we may need to pay a few pence more for better service and a better experience..."If you pay peanuts you get monkeys"...
I'm wealthy enough to shop in Tenbury & I don't see why I should be inconvenienced by the poor people on their way to Tesco.
I think a section of the community do want cheap. If you are unemployed or unwell or on a state pension and live on a limited fixed income, the few pounds difference on your shopping bill is the difference between having the heating on or not. It is the same people who cannot afford to travel to Ludlow or Kidderminster to do their shopping, they also can't afford to shop online. A £4 delivery charge isn't much if you spend £200 but if you spend £40 it's not affordable.
You can have free delivery if you choose the time slots late on in evening.
Your comment that the signs in Bowkett's says "cheaper that Tesco" is incorrect. The signs indicate how much the milk is per litre in Bowketts and a comparative price per litre for Tesco's and it also indicates the source of the information for the Tesco pricing - nothing else.
if you are referring to the milk then the litre price is like for like (accepting of course that the milk is highly possibly from a different cow....
Which supermarket. Not Tesco, I checked.
I don't see much poverty in Tenbury.
Also why is the crime so low.
Who gives a s**t how much their milk is. This is about a planning application on the cattle Market site. In simple terms is it the (piece of land). Suitable for what ever is proposed for it. Whether it be a zoo, school, a nut house or supermarket.
I know what I would Prefer and it's not tesco's.
(their value lemonade taste like bleach)
Didn't know Bowketts had a label on the milk. Lucky they aren't comparing it with the Barn Shop then.
This piece of land marks the only chance to break the Tenbury food duoply.
Then [Anonymous] allow the land at the centre of the community to benefit the local community and develop it in a blended way.
Ideally some small amount of retail, some [or maybe even a lot of] parking, poss a Taxi rank [that the town is very in need of] and maybe even semi-permanent stalls for local and/or farmer's markets..
I know this then promotes discussion[s] about funding etc but once you let Tesco build then that's it - no rewind button. The legacy of this planning decision will affect Tenbury's functioning and attractiveness as a tourist destination for years to come.
Make the right decision and vote to have the site's potential re-examined fully [as opposed to defaulting to a Tesco Superstore development and all the associated problems it'll bring].
Btw [Anonymous] - where do the Barn Farm Shop, Clockhouse Butchers, Swift's Bakers, The Food Court Butchers, The Fish Shop and the Co-Op store etc all fit into this apparent 'Duopoly' mentioned? A true Duopoly operates around 2x people or organisations ONLY being in control [of food sales in this case]..
Macmillan dictionary states:
Duopoly
"a situation where two people / organizations are in control - a 'monopoly' of two"
Let's just say MHDC approve the plan (which I hope not). Then hopefully the secretary of state will call it in and show what a shocking decision MHDC had made.
Duopoly....mmm one thinks you need to either look up the word in a dictionary or count the amount of shops that sell food in town... a good majority of the shops although selling similar or identical products - even milk would you beleive, and have healthy competition, although mutually survive. At last count the number of shops selling food was greater than 2, I think they are still there....however if Tesco come to town rest assured there will be far less choice - with the possibility of a Monopoly on a good percentage of food sales.
Price of goods isn't the only consideration here.
We must also take into consideration convenience, it'd be nice to have more choice when you get back into town when the 'local' shops are long shut.
To that end I don't much care what store is built by who, I'd prefer something other than Tesco but accept that the money needed to develop such a problematic site could only come from the big food stores, of course we could always leave it as is for another 5, 10, 12 years........
Two stores in Tenbury have a combined annual turnover in the region of £15M. I doubt all the other food stores together reach £1M.
Mr Anonymous.. It doesn't matter who's earning what - it still doesn't fit with the dictionary definition of a Duopoly. There simply isn't only 2 stores solely in control of the food retailing in this town.
Where do you get the £15m from two store from? Half this and you may come close.
"Ideally some small amount of retail, some [or maybe even a lot of] parking, poss a Taxi rank [that the town is very in need of] and maybe even semi-permanent stalls for local and/or farmer's markets.." - sorry, I think we need to get into the REAL world.
Whats the real world then ? another cloned town(street) full of charity shops .
Yes correct Ian the REAL world.
A WORLD that has not been taken over by TESCO
Whatever the Town Council's decision is - and i am sure they will appraise the full facts now they are avaiable, the final decision lies with MHDC, TTC have only a small part to play. If MHDC reject the application it will be on planning considerations only and not on emotion or the price of milk eggs of beans - ie if the site is not deemed suitable for a supermarket what will happen then.....what options are there left?
If the application is unsuccessful maybe as a community service we use this medium to canvas Tenbury on what we really want....
The Council should have considered the future of the site when they wrote the local plan. What does the local plan say should be done with the site?
This can't be right. WHAT SUGAR ONLY 50p IN SPAR.
I think they made a mistake here.
Is it a 1 kilo bag ?.
Sugar in Spar
it's probably not like for like
it must be a different weight
it must be on offer
it's not as good as Tesco's
it's a blue packet not white
it's a mistake it should be £5
it's not always 50p
it's off the back of a lorry (technically this is true because it will have been delivered on one - I've still got a sense of humour - just)
It will be anything to WR15 but a good deal for customers in Tenbury
The "real" world is one in which most people (a)aren't paranoid about Tesco and (b) have realistic expectations about the development potential of vacant sites.
At 50p for 500g it's still dearer than Tesco.
it's not like for like
it's a different weight
it's on offer
it's not as good as Tesco's
All valid reasons why I check any price comparisons sent to me before I publish them, but as the Teme Valley Times proved in their article, some items in Spar are cheaper than Tesco.
It's. 1kg bag I have already bought 10 to stock up
At 50p per kilo it is very cheap.
And it's not a spar brand sugar it's a top brand.
Paranoid...No ...Common Sense.. Yes
Development of the site yes ,but something that will benefit the town not destroy it .
Well, it looks like MHDC has got some sense and some weighty cahooners....
"it's not as good as Tesco's" I rest my case. Isn't sugar - sugar !!! This example demonstrates that to WR15 this has nothing to do with pricing and better value for poorer residents. He's just simply a Tesco fan and I bet they wish they had him on the board - or maybe he is..... or simply he works for them or knows someone who works for Tesco's that would like to work in Tenbury...
It is in the nature of paranoia that those who suffer from it think they are talking common sense!
What do you mean by sense rugby fan?
It'll be interesting to see what MHDC's considered opinion on the Tesco situation is.
Let's hope that they share the concerns of hundreds of people from the local area and vote not to turn Tenbury into a ghost town with one open glowing shop [Tesco] at one end of it.
Come on MHDC do the right thing..
Rugby Fan's suggestion [if plans rejected again] of asking the town what they want on the site is both a fair and wholly appropriate idea though.
Who knows just what will happen in the 'REAL' world?
everything in tenbury menwear dvds etc where are they
nonsense
the ********(moderated) shop is a rip off
What does the last comment mean? Appreciate has been moderated but I looked back up the thread to see if I'd missed something but still don't get it..
It is a shame that this blog has been hijacked by one or two people (fairly obvious people)who wish to just be abusive.
If Tesco gives up on the application I hope that all the passion by the 'No' camp could be directed to finding a use for the cattle market site that will truly benefit the town. It will be interesting to see which of these people will pursue this and which will give up, claim victory for the town and sit by while the site slides further into dereliction.
Anonymous said
"it's not as good as Tesco's" I rest my case. Isn't sugar - sugar !!!
Wasn't WR15 listing various scenarios rather than stating his own views?
Phil take a look back - it was in response to my sarcasm. You're quite right WR15 is entitled to his view - so am I. Unless it was a typo and he didn't mean to put referring to sugar as "it's not as good as Tesco's" in. Or maybe he did to get a reaction - which he has - hasn't he?
I did mean in general rather than specifically to sugar.
not only are we being ripped off by the shops in tenbury we are being ripped off by the petrol now it is a disgrace.
To be fair to Swan Garage, I don't think they get to set the prices. Texaco set the price based on local competition. (and there isn't any)
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