It seems that majority of Traders, Towns people and now Town Councillors agree that allowing Tesco to develop a store on the Old Cattle Market, would on balance be beneficial for Tenbury.
Tenbury Town Council have voted 6 to 4 in favour of supporting the application. The previous vote of 5 to 4 against was overturned. The Shropshire Star is carrying a story that the original votes wasn't valid, but I don't know why this should be.
There are of course, traders, people and Cllrs who disagree. At last nights meeting of the Town Council two people were able to put their thoughts before the Council. Neither of the speakers live in the Tenbury Ward.
One spoke of the prior experience of Leicester and Llandrindod Wells, where the arrival of Tesco changed the town. The other spoke of his concerns about traffic and chaos on the bridge.
I'm not convinced that the situation in Tenbury is similar to Leicester, or for that matter Llandrindod. I've not been to Leicester in more than 10 years, so it might have shrunk. I have been to Llandrindod and I'm certainly confused by the comparison.
Llandrindod has a population roughly double that of Tenbury, and the Tesco is quite a way from the Town centre. You have to pass both the Co-op & Aldi on the way.
There was an interesting letter from a Llandrindod resident who felt it was fine for his local populous to drive the 60 mile round trip to Hereford Tesco and so having one in town was an overkill. Sounds like a very "green" option to me. He also felt that people of Tenbury could easily use public transport to access existing Tesco stores. He clearly hasn't tried that!
The question of traffic, is a concern, but anyone who spends time in Tenbury knows that jams occur quickly and then dissipate just as quickly. There are peaks, but equally there are very long troughs.
There is conflict on the bridge, but there has been for decades and one way or another the traffic sorts itself out.
Will there be problems, sure there will, but after an initial period it will settle down.
So now we await the report of the MHDC planner and the vote of the Northern Area Development Committee. Interesting times indeed.
Shropshire Star
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38 comments:
Meant to attend this meeting but was caught up.
WR15 (or anyone else in attendance) can give is any more info on the Leicester argument?
Would be nice to know which store was cited, as a Leicester lad of some 33 years and a repeat visitor at least twice a week I'm a tad curious....
And now we wait, IIRC MHDC deadline is November.
I'm sure Mr Bubble will oblige, but think he has also written about it in the past, here or on the futures blog.
I would just like to make the point that it is not only Tenbury residents who will be affected when Tesco come to town.
I do not live in Tenbury but shop for fresh, good value, tasty and (often) local produce at The Food Hall, Swifts, Richard the greengrocer and Graham's fish shop. When Tesco has shut these down I will have to travel all the way to Ludlow to buy equivalent quality and/or local produce.
Consequently I feel that the views of myself and other people in a similar position, whatever these views may be, are just as important as those of Tenbury residents who currently do not shop locally and who are unlikely to visit the above shops after Tesco arrives.
Unfortunately I believe that the Tesco juggernaut will prevail.
WR15
You seem to have forgot that one councillor was trying to compare Tenbury to both Leominster & Ludlow, where both towns have a population more than double that of Tenbury.
One Cllr referred to Ludlow and said that Swifts bakers were relocating/opening a branch to be near to Tesco.
Another mentioned Leominster. They said that Leomister for years protested & stopped a supermarket being built, then Safeway(now Morrisons) built out of town and the town centre died. The town then protested to have an in town supermarket (they now have two) and the town centre picked up again.
TESCOS that are built in towns really do make town centres busy again it was a myth what Tenbury Futures were preaching their figures came from out of town stores
Will they now admit they have lost the argument
Llandrindod has a population roughly double that of Tenbury, and the Tesco is quite a way from the Town centre. You have to pass both the Co-op & Aldi on the way.
WR15 you really are thinking to help Tesco in aint you. They got to pass blah blah blah. Thats assuming they all come from the SAME direction which i DOUBT!!
I was referring to the proximity to Middleton Street where the more traditional shops are.
which you don't state so is CONFUSING
You are of course correct. There has been a lot of comparisons drawn, but often the vital element which is the store location i.e. In Town, Edge of Town and Out of Town have been omitted. Research and now planning regulation shows "In Town" is good, "Edge of Town" where there is a disconnect with existing shops and "Out of Town" is bad.
"Another mentioned Leominster. They said that Leomister for years protested & stopped a supermarket being built, then Safeway (now Morrisons) built out of town"
This can't have been written by a local! We didn't stop a supermarket opening in the middle of Leominster in the mid-70s. The out-of-town Safeway was a different issue.
Quite amusing that the latest blog entry on futures site still states "TTC rejects Tesco plans again".
They seem to be very quiet at the moment.
Don't speak too soon. I'm trying to validate a rumour.
PLEASE tell us!
Mmmn.
I spoke at the TTC meet as one of a couple of locals against the Tesco scheme..
I referred to a 'town in the east midlands' when I talked of supermarkets adversely affecting the high street. Just personal experience of a town highstreet I'd known for many years that swiftly became a shadow of itself when Asda and then Tesco set up 5 mins walk from the highstreet.
Not a city though and certainly not Leicestaar [for the record] WR15.
WR15: Don't speak too soon. I'm trying to validate a rumour.
Ian:PLEASE tell us!
tut - quidnunc
Isn't the big problem the sheer size of this Tesco, combined with the limited car park, plus the very short entry to the car park (hardly any cars can queue off road while trying to find a space) plus the congestion caused by the bridge at busy times, plus the needless demolition of an old building.
Wouldn't it be better if Tesco made the store smaller, say 10,000 rather than 15,000 sq ft (still larger than Bowketts and SPAR compined), made their adjoining store house etc smaller (3,000 rather than 9,000 sq ft - 9,000 sq ft is big enough for a car showroom). Then there would be more space to park, the old building could be kept, cars wanting to park wouldn't be queuing onto Teme Street and the bridge wouldn't be gridlocked. What do people think?
"quidnunc" -= can't see much wrong with wanting the latest news!
Well it seems that the Town Council may have to discuss this application again.
The planners at MHDC have asked the developers for some additional information.
The effect of this will almost certainly delay the planning meeting to at least December if not January.
If the additional information (what ever that is) materially effects the application, it might be necessary to start the consultation process all over again.
WR15:Well it seems that the Town Council may have to discuss this application again.
The planners at MHDC have asked the developers for some additional information.
The effect of this will almost certainly delay the planning meeting to at least December if not January.
If the additional information (what ever that is) materially effects the application, it might be necessary to start the consultation process all over again.
I heard a rumour also and what was said to me was that "MHDC had returned the application to the applicants".
Lets hope, if there is a another TTC meeting and vote that its not another Questions & Answers debate with the Tesco Reps.
"TESCOS that are built in towns really do make town centres busy again it was a myth what Tenbury Futures were preaching their figures came from out of town stores
Will they now admit they have lost the argument"
Are you going to apply for a job at Tesco when they open?
It's rather difficult to understand how a request for 'additional information' could morph into such a radical change to the application that the whole consultative process has to be repeated - at quite considerable cost all round.
Of course there's two sides to every story.. See the other side.
Click our link.
Who should Cllrs question if not the developer/applicant?
Should they instead reply on what they read on local blogs?
Strange that Tenbury Futures are now complaining that a Cllr compared Tenbury with Ludlow, (actually I don't think they did) when for months they have been relaying stories from Towns that bears no resemblance to Tenbury, and stores that are many time the size of the one proposed.
There is a letter in today's paper, where the writer say's he cannot understand why the planning committee didn't cite traffic and vitality as reasons for turning down the previous application.
Perhaps he wasn't at the planning meeting where the Councils Solicitor & Head of Planning explained in very simple terms to the Cllrs why they couldn't.
It's all nonsense. The facts are clear, but few people care about them. This has degenerated into toddler tantrums "I want, I want, I want" - or - "I don't want, I don't want, I don't want".
Please will adults behave like adults - this isn't a forum for the under-4s!
tesco is coming whoop whoop
Anon 1: "It's all nonsense. The facts are clear, but few people care about them. This has degenerated into toddler tantrums "I want, I want, I want" - or - "I don't want, I don't want, I don't want".
Please will adults behave like adults - this isn't a forum for the under-4s!"
Anon 2: "tesco is coming whoop whoop"
Anon 1 - valid point you have there - this is why this blog is wrong in many ways. Even so, and even though it irritates me so much I am drawn to retaliate and redress some of the statements - hopefully in an adult way to comments such as those from Anon 2 - its annoying isn't it but that's all it is. Typical toddler attitude and not particularly clever. I agree I'm not always right but there is a divide in the town which is distasteful and uncomfortable and it is being greatly encouraged by this site and it's owner.
"...The planners at MHDC have asked the developers for some additional information.
The effect of this will almost certainly delay the planning meeting to at least December if not January..."
Hmmm I may be crazy, but a slight delay means they don't have to deal with Tesco wanting to start development whilst the bridge is closed...
"...I agree I'm not always right but there is a divide in the town which is distasteful and uncomfortable and it is being greatly encouraged by this site and it's owner.."
Pish and nonsense.
This Blog and it's publisher may be giving voice to the divide, may be giving those who suport the plan a forum to voice their support, may be allowing another side to the story, but encouraging the divide?!?!?! I think not.
The choices are;
>Read this blog and believe it all 100%, or;
>Read TF's blog and believe it 100% or;
>Read the local papers and believe them 100% or;
>Read a combination of all 3, take in all articles & comments whilst acknowledging and recognising bias from all side, and then make your own mind up.
"Pish and nonsense.
This Blog and it's publisher may be giving voice to the divide, may be giving those who suport the plan a forum to voice their support, may be allowing another side to the story, but encouraging the divide?!?!?! I think not."
If it was accurate and fair to both sides I would agree.
Mr LB: "Pish and nonsense.
This Blog and it's publisher may be giving voice to the divide, may be giving those who suport the plan a forum to voice their support, may be allowing another side to the story, but encouraging the divide?!?!?! I think not."
You can think what you like - you have a typically dismissive attitude - it's how I see it and it is the consequences of the toing and froing of nasty remarks that causes divide - I'm not talking about intelligent debate and what is "pish"?
Its a polish fish isnt it?
Its a polish fish isnt it?
Could be a posh fish!
"...you have a typically dismissive attitude.."
I'd disagree.
If I were dimissive I'd wouldn't have bothered to give my thoughts on you opinion.
Nor would I read this blog, TF's blog, the Shropshire Star and the Advertiser just to get different slants on the same story.
==========================
I think a lot of people make the mistake that this is a news source for the town, it isn't, it is just a blog (No offence WR15)
It's the blogings (double g?)of a local man as he sees the events and happenings of his town unfold, his thoughts, his opinions, his story of town life.
As hard as WR15 may try there will be traces of bias in his bloggings (yes double g looks right)readers need to see past this, he isn't speaking for the town he is speaking for himself.
We could, in about 30 minutes, set up our own blogs giving our side of the story, but we choose to come here, if we don't like it we can leave of our own free will and pay it no mind.
The choices are;
>Read this blog and believe it all 100%, or;
>Read TF's blog and believe it 100% or;
>Read the local papers and believe them 100%
I'd say that the Tenbury Fantasizer is the least factually accurate in that list isn't it mr beard? We may be at odds in terms of opinions but at least WR15 and TF's try to back up what they're putting across with facts or relevant refs where possible.
The Fantasizer's Mr Kibbler seems to largely rely on the roll of a dice as to what perspective he'll give a story though.. Accuracy isn't something he seems to burden himself with.
& I thought it was called the Tenbury Adverliar.
The Adverliar wrote the article about the Bridge Meeting at the High School before the meeting had even taken place, then published it the following day, pretending it was a report on what had actually happened at the meeting. What a disgrace!
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