Tenbury MP calls for action from Tesco

Tenbury MP Harriett Baldwin has called on Tesco to work with Tenbury if they want to build support for a new store.

Harriett Baldwin confirmed she has agreed to meet representatives from the company who are keen to work with the town to help fund significant improvements as well as building a new ‘eco-store’.

Harriett said: “I met with the Tesco Corporate Social Responsibility team and asked if the company could work with local residents to improve the town’s amenities.

“Of particular interest to me were proposals to help win extra funding for flood defences for the town, which are badly needed.

Harriett added: “Tesco representatives are keeping me informed of their plans and are answering my questions. The company is keen to hear local views on how it can best make a contribution to the community.

“I have actively suggested that they speak to the Environment Agency about the town’s need for investment in flood defences.”

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www.harriettbaldwin.com/content/mp-calls-action-tesco

BBC Profile

Town Council consider Tesco application.

The Tenbury Town Council met tonight to consider the application to demolish the existing buildings on the cattle market site and the application to build a Tesco's "Environmental format" store.

There were a good number (25-30?) of people in the public gallery, but they were not allowed the participate in the meeting. The Town Cllrs have been taking written and verbal submissions from numerous people over the last few weeks. The one fact that has become clear is that there is no overall majority either for or against the store.

The meeting tonight was to discuss the proposal purely on planning grounds, and whilst this restricted what Cllrs could say, it produced a more focused result.

The main issues raised were:-

• Concern about the additional volume of vehicles in town.
• Concern about the effect that this would have on the bridge.
  (Should there be a weight limit?)
• Concern about the access to the site and the conflict between Spar delivery traffic and all traffic entering and leaving the Tesco site.
• Concern over the conflict between pedestrians and delivery vehicles at the entrance and within the car park area.
• Concern that the building was bland and not in keeping with the architecture of the town.
• Concerns about light pollution.
• Concerns that two hours free parking was insufficient to encourage people to also visit other shops in town.
• Concern about the visual aspect created on entering the town.
• Query whether the 180 jobs were local or included the whole supply chain.
• Acknowledgement that a lot of people locally already support Tesco either by visiting stores in Ludlow, Kidderminster or elsewhere or by having home delivery.

  (The exact wording of their submission will be available on the MHDC planning website in a few days.)

Three Cllrs declared an interest as either an employee of a Tesco competitor or as an employee of a supplier to Tesco.

Toilet back after 3 years.

The much delayed Market Street toilets are expected to open tomorrow.

It is now nearly 3 years since the Market Street wall collapsed after flash flooding in July 2007. The sluice valves that should have allowed the water to escape into the brook had not been maintained and had rusted closed. With nowhere to go the pressure and weight of the water caused the wall to collapse.

Read the full history of the wall (according to me)

Malvern District Council's version

BBC News

No Tenbury Tesco Poster Campaign

The first of the NO Tesco in Tenbury posters are starting to appear around town.

Designed and produced by the notenburytesco campaign group.

A magnificent display of oleaginous toadying.

This is how the Guardian political sketch writer Simon Hoggart described Tenbury MP Harriett Baldwin's contribution to today's Prime Ministers Question Time.

If like me the meaning of the word Oleaginous didn't immediately spring to mind it transpires that it was the “word of the day” from Dictionary.Com, earlier in the month, so Simon Hoggart has probably been trying to find an excuse to use it.

Oleaginous \oh-lee-AJ-uh-nuhs\, adjective

1. Having the nature or qualities of oil
2. Containing oil
3. Producing oil
4. Unctuous, fawning, smarmy

Full article

On Monday The Speaker of the House, John Bercow said "May I congratulate Harriett Baldwin on her ingenuity? I mean that genuinely. "

Whatever your thoughts she does appear to be actively engaged in the Houses of Parliament!

Has Tenbury seen the last of AWM funding

Speculation seems to be in the air that Advantage West Midlands is likely to be axed by Eric Pickles MP the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

The Tenbury Area Partnership who have been working on plans for the building of a Health & Well Being Multi use facility on the Palmers Meadow Car Park, were relying on the majority of the funding to come from AWM.

It is unclear at this stage whether any of the annual £200 million pound budget controlled by AWM will transfer to the West Midland local authorities, or whether is will be greatly reduced or cut altogether as part of the Governments economy drive.

Tenbury Duck Race

1st Tenbury Scouts Duck race was held this morning from the Crow bridge to Palmers Meadow. Low water meant that many of the Ducks stranded and had to be assisted to finish the course.

Tenbury Chamber of Trade : Ballot Result

The results of the ballot sent to the members of the Tenbury Chamber of Trade show no overall majority.

14 of the respondents where ambivalent and the rest were split 50/50 for and against.

Of those who voted yes, some did so on the proviso that sufficient S106 money was obtained and spent locally to improve the Town.

The committee have yet to meet to decide what further action to take.

No Tenbury Tesco Website

As the No Tenbury Tesco campaign gathers momentum they have launched a new website where everyone is asked to contribute their views about the planning application.

www.no.tenburytesco.co.uk

Tenbury MP makes maiden speech

Harriett Baldwin, the recently elected MP for West Worcestershire which includes Tenbury Wells made her maiden speech in the House of Commons yesterday.

Although the subject of the debate was about Tackling Poverty in the UK, she was able to promote the area (including Tenbury) as a food and drink producing area, and to clear up the confusion as to whether she was related to the late 3 times PM Stanley Baldwin.

Click here for the full speech.

MP Prompts Government about Flood Defences for Tenbury

Local MP Harriett Baldwin has prompted the Government to keep flood defences on the agenda.

She wrote to ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

(1) whether she plans to maintain agreed levels of funding for flood defence schemes in Upton-upon-Severn, Uckinghall, Kempsey, Pershore and Powick; and if she will make a statement;

(2) if she will visit Tenbury Wells to discuss the provision of flood defences; if she will review the Government's formula for funding flood defences to assist the town to meet the criteria for funding; and if she will make a statement.

The following reply was received:-

Richard Benyon Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Natural Environment and Fisheries), Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Newbury, Conservative)

We are currently working through the detail of the policies set out in the coalition agreement and other issues in DEFRA's portfolio, which include flooding risk management. We will keep DEFRA's website updated as work progresses.

In my role as Minister I hope to have the opportunity to visit many parts of the country, including inland areas which have faced, or may in the future face, flooding problems.

Tesco Plans in Tenbury

Copies of the Tenbury Tesco planning application can now be viewed at Tenbury Library.

New opening hours came into effect from 1st June 2010 and they are

Monday and Tuesday, 9.30am-5.30pm;

Wednesday, 9.30am- 1pm;

Thursday, 9.30am- 7pm;

Friday, 9.30am- 5.30pm;

Saturday: 9.30am-2pm.

The plans can also be viewed online. Details of how to access they can be found on www.no.tenburytesco.co.uk

Comments for and against the planning action are being sought by both Tenbury Town Council and Malvern Hills District Council. Members of Tenbury & Burford Civic Society can also discuss the application at a meeting in the Pump Rooms on Thursday 24 June at 7.30pm.

Tesco's planning application and the Town Council

There was only minimal discussion about the Tesco planning application at the Town Council meeting tonight as the planning documents had only been received by the Town Council this morning.

The new Mayor, Elizabeth Weston, urged all the Councillors to borrow the documents to read thoroughly, before a special meeting is held on the 28th June to discuss in more detail.

The Councillors voted to hold the meeting in public, but not to allow public participation. They felt that there would be other forums where members of the public can express their view verbally.

The Council do urge as many people as possible to discuss the application with their local Councillors, and to write or email the Council with their views. The Councillors were reminded that any objections can only be on planning grounds.

A list of Councillors is available on the Council Website, although this town council have decided that they will not list the individual councillors addresses, phone numbers or email addresses.

Even the Town Clerks email address doesn't appear to be listed. (pbuckley@tenburytcouncil.entadsl.com)

The Council also discussed the revised planning application for the housing on Oldwood Road, but it was clear (in my opinion) that some of the Councillors either hadn't read the application and the supporting documents, didn't understand them or perhaps didn't believe them.

Tenbury Town Council to consider Tesco application.

The Tenbury Town Council are due to discuss both the Oldwood Road "affordable" homes project and the Tesco "Cattle Market" application at their meeting on Monday 7th June.

This is not an opportunity for members of the public to discuss the applications with Councillors, but short presentations can be made at the start of the meeting (subject to time being available).

The Town Council do not have any direct planning powers but their comments are considered along with any others when the application is brought before the Northern Area Development Control Committee at Malvern Hills District Council. Tony Penn, one of the Town Councillors is also a District Councillor, who sits on the MHDC Committee.

Phil Grove, Tenbury's District Councillor and Leader of Malvern Hills District Council has given an undertaking that the Planning meeting will be held in Tenbury probably in late August. He also sits on the Northern Area Development Control Committee.

All the planning application documents are now available on the MHDC website under Application Number 10/00561/FUL

Tesco's planning application is validated.

From the MHDC Website

Following the submission of further reports including a Flood Risk Assessment, Ecological, Heritage, Sustainability and Landscape Statements, Tesco Stores Ltd has been informed by Malvern Hills District Council that their application for a supermarket on the Former Cattle Market site, Teme Street, Tenbury Wells is now valid.

The new food store proposed is to the rear of existing shops on Teme Street, and would provide 1,440 sq.metres of trading floor space with car parking and deliveries to the rear of the new supermarket building.

The District Council is carrying out extensive consultation on these development proposals. As promised by local district Councillor Phil Grove, a copy of the planning application will be available to view at the public library in Tenbury from Monday 7^th June. It is also available to view on the Malvern Hills District Council web-site http://www.malvernhills.gov.uk/. Anyone wishing to comment on the application should ensure that their comments are received by the District Council no later than 2^nd July 2010.

Councillor David Hughes, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Housing Services at MHDC says:

“Now that this application has been validated, we can carefully consider the content of the application and assess it against the site specific planning policy EP18 in our adopted Local Plan. Policy EP18 sets out quite clearly what will and will not be acceptable on this site. We also need to take into account the views of local traders and the views of residents of Tenbury and Burford to ensure that the development of this site supports town centre regeneration as a whole and that visually it is in keeping with the character of the Town”.