City speaks out on Tesco
THE city council has attacked supermarket giant Tesco over the location of new stores in Nottingham.
Angry councillors say Tesco is looking at locations which they believe are inappropriate.
-
conversion: The Oakdale pub site.
The retailer is pushing for a major new store in the 35-acre Eastside regeneration zone, off London Road.
It also wants to convert disused pubs into stores in Radford and Bakersfield.
Tesco does not need permission from the council to convert the pubs, due to revised planning rules. Coun Graham Chapman, deputy leader of Nottingham City Council, used a meeting of the Executive Board, where he was acting as chairman, to vent his frustration.
He said: "They are playing havoc in the city. We need to take them on as far as we can.
"They are trying to develop pub sites surreptitiously. What can we do about Tesco taking over pubs and creating supermarkets where we do not want supermarkets?"
Tesco strongly disputes any claim it is acting improperly.
Tony Fletcher, corporate affairs manager, said: "We deny we are doing anything surreptitiously. There are a lot of pubs on the market. Where they are available and in suitable locations for convenience stores we look at them."
Mr Fletcher said Tesco was seeking an appropriate design for its proposed development at Eastside.
And he added: "We would welcome the opportunity to have dialogue with the city council."
Tesco is already a major player in and around the city with 20 stores in Greater Nottingham. It is estimated the company employs 1,700 staff. Another large store is planned for Bulwell.
Five Tesco Express stores have opened in the city centre in the last two years.
The tension between Tesco and the city council emerged after the supermarket chain agreed terms with developers to build a 110,000 sq ft store at Eastside, employing at least 500 people.
However, Coun Chapman fears the development will suck shoppers out of the city centre.
The supermarket chain was also granted a licence to sell alcohol at the site of former pub, the Jolly Higglers in Radford, despite objections from local residents.
The supermarket plans to convert the pub into a store.
Coun Katrina Bull, another executive board member and the representative for Radford, said: "They have exploited a loophole in the planning legislation. It is inappropriate for such a well-known brand."
City councillor Ken Williams is objecting to the conversion of The Oakdale public house in Bakersfield into a Tesco convenience store.
He said: "There is no planning application – so there is no debate about traffic. But this one is on a busy road near a roundabout.
"We are not anti-Tesco, but we want supermarkets in the right place."
The conversion of former pubs to retail outlets has become more common since a change in the law in 2008, which created more flexibility in the planning system.
Where a pub has planning permission, the consent can be transferred to a retail store, so the developer does not need to apply to the council for a change of use.
Jennifer Dearing, the corporate director for development, at Nottingham City Council said: "The council will be seeking a meeting with Tesco to clarify its plans in terms of large and small store provision."
Coun Chapman said sites occupied by former pubs could be turned into offices, housing, and shops. He would like to see the Eastside regeneration zone used for the development of new offices to help attract companies to the city and bring new jobs.
charles.walker@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk
24 Comments
View all
by Andyman, Derbys
Tuesday, March 30 2010, 7:16PM
“Why not rename Nottingham Tescoham on Trent.”
by Gert, Nottingham
Tuesday, March 30 2010, 7:08PM
“What bugs me is the lack of competition that is going on... Only a few years ago Morrisons was forced to close some of the Safeways stores it had bought fairly and yet Tesco seem to have Carte blanche to buy and open stores wherever they choose.
I am concerned that soon you won't be be able to travel through Nottingham without seeing the tesco emblem everywhere...
Nottingham is a large place but is there really the need for that many stores!!”
by Liz, Nottingham
Tuesday, March 30 2010, 5:25PM
“Thanks for advice about copying to clipboard. I must learn how to do this, will save hours of frustration! I still wish they'd fix the website, though.”
by Mr. Sensible, Glad to help
Tuesday, March 30 2010, 3:49PM
“Liz I can assure you that as far as I can see your comment has appeared second time.
I give you the same advice as I have just given Vonne; before you click 'submit', copy the comment to your clipboard so that if an error occurs you can then just paste it in and try again.
Hope that helps, Liz.”
by Mr. Sensible, The Real World
Tuesday, March 30 2010, 3:44PM
“Atilla I am not a politician.
I am just a member of the public who happens to agree with a particular viewpoint.
And, Sneintonite, the council has not come up with this proposal; it can only respond to proposals put in front of it by an applicant.
And, Vonne, I think your 10th attempt has worked.
I some times get error messages when I try to post a comment first time. The way I try to get round it is to copy my comment to my computer's clipboard before pressing submit, so that if an error occurs I can then just paste it in and try again. Usually it then works.
And, 'Mr. Sensible, doesn't listen to anything!' You'll have to remind me what that was.”
by Liz, Nottingham
Tuesday, March 30 2010, 2:57PM
“(Second attempt at posting this, first seems to have failed) I have problems posting on this site too. I wish the EP would do something to upgrade the comments section, and also improve on this rubbishy little box you have to type in.”
by Freedom Fighter, St Anns
Tuesday, March 30 2010, 2:04PM
“This website is shocking Vonne.
Websites started making you sign up initially over 10 years ago, what does only the NEP carry on using this particular non-method?”
by Atilla The Bun, Fun in the Bun
Tuesday, March 30 2010, 2:01PM
“"Does the city council have a look to see what members of the public think?"
Yup... Jon Collins (AKA Mr Sensible) reads and comments everyday.”
by Sneintonite, Sneinton
Tuesday, March 30 2010, 1:24PM
“http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/300-jobs-163-25m-site/article-1835717-detail/article.html
I was going to comment on this, but remembered that I had already made comments about this on an earlier story,
Reading councillor Katrina Bulls comments makes me hope that she actually read the comments from the last story, especially as I sent the article to her asking for comment., she didn't bother replying back to me, so I will never know.
But the gist of it was......
"The question I have for Nottingham city council planning department is as a member of a local transition towns group promoting local resilience....
How do out of town developments like this fit into the councils supposed committment to being a Transition city and it's adoption of peak oil as a strategy for it's future regeneration plans?
How does this fit into the cities plans and targets for local sustainability? And how does this fit into it's climate change targets that it goes on about.
It's all hot air!"
Read the article for some comments on local sustainability from local community groups
Although I sometimes wonder why I bother commenting on here? Who actually reads it, except us regulars ;-).
Does the city council have a look to see what members of the public think?, does the NEP follow up some of the arguments put forth? I'm guessing not!
So while I love reading some of the interesting comments on here, maybe in future if we are not happy about things happening in our community, we should be posting these comments off directly to whoever is involved, councilors, MP's, etc. Write letters and get involved in your area meetings, they are an eye opener!!. They are supposed to be here to represent us, lets ask them too instead of just posting a comment on here.”
by Vonne, Murrrumbateman
Tuesday, March 30 2010, 12:48PM
“"Tesco does not need permission from the council to convert the pubs, due to revised planning rules. Coun Graham Chapman, deputy leader of Nottingham City Council, used a meeting of the Executive Board, where he was acting as chairman, to vent his frustration."
"Where a pub has planning permission, the consent can be transferred to a retail store, so the developer does not need to apply to the council for a change of use."
WT bl**dy heck? As they say - what goes round, comes round.
t'council done it, and youse avter pay fer it.
I take it these precious old pubs/buildings can no longer be operated as pubs as they probably no longer have licences. What a damn shame. Those pubs had character and history and added colour to the areas in which they were situated. I have been in many of them in the time when they could still be the hub of a civilized society enjoying an evening out for locals and visitors alike - still I suppose that sort of society has all but vanished now, bloody pity!
NEP - it would be so much easier if we could 'sign in' before trying to submit our comment. I have already tried NINE times to 'Submit' to no avail and this time does not look like being a success either. Nb: I update the number of times each time I try to submit ¿ and I get tired of inputting my details every time I try to submit ¿ which I should not have to do if I have already signed in!
This has taken me an hour to do - does anyone else have this problem?”