St. Albans MP Anne Main: "I cannot support this project"

We have received the following email and letter written by St. Albans MP Anne Main, both of which are republished below in full without editing:

[email]

email to: tescocampaign@yahoo.co.uk
Thu, 8 Feb 2007 15:04:14 -0000

Dear Sir,

Sorry I do not know your name.

As you will know St Albans District Council will make the final planning decision regarding Tesco's proposal at Evershed/London Rd site.

Please find attached a letter I have sent to the Leader of St Albans District Council which follows various meetings with concerned St Albans residents over the years, briefings and discussions with Tesco managers and, of course, at the public exhibition in St Albans - outlining my strong objections to the plans.

These objections are based not only on the overall damage I feel it may cause St Albans but also based on strong planning grounds.

This article from the Financial Times may also be of interest to the readers of the website.

I hope this is useful.

Best wishes,

Anne Main
Anne Main MP
St Albans
House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA
Tel: 020 7219 3000
www.annemain.com

[letter to Cllr Robert Donald, Leader, St Albans District Council, dated 31 January 2006]

Re: Tesco proposals for Evershed/ London Road site

I hope that after detailed consideration St Albans District Council will decide to reject the proposal for the Tesco store at Evershed/London Rd.

In light of the recent draft East of England housing review, and the views expressed by council officers, I am concerned that we don’t have enough Brownfield sites to accommodate this extra development should it be imposed upon us. In my view it would seem prudent to carefully consider whether or not this site should be allowed to take a large supermarket development or remain earmarked for housing.

In the current District plan it was identified that St Albans needed to provide a diverse shopping experience to enhance current retail provision; and indeed did specify that a department store may prove a useful addition to the St Albans shopping mix. Several residents have expressed the view that smaller retail developments on this site would be preferable - and I have a degree of sympathy with that view.

Many of my constituents have contacted me about this proposal and I have had several meetings with Tesco, prior to the public consultation, outlining my concerns about the size and scope of the development and about the massive traffic implications for the London Rd and surrounding area.

Further to our last meeting I was given to understand that the store, at 55,200 sq ft not including office space etc, will be significantly larger than the 30,000 sq ft supermarket space that a recent St Albans District Council report suggested might be acceptable in the City Centre. This aspect of the proposal alone I believe gives the Council sufficient grounds to refuse this proposal.

I feel that having seen the proposals myself there are additional significant issues that are raised by the plans; currently no designated recycling facilities on the site and difficulties in finding a location for one, no detailed proposals for visual elevations and detrimental impact on Bedford Rd and Inkerman Rd, demolition of historic houses, no lighting placements decided and therefore no assessment of light impact on neighbouring properties, no visual elevations or design statement for Alma Rd, no accompanying figures on traffic flow and impact - although I have asked for details of these. These are just some of the issues that I have raised with the Tesco team and I have made it quite clear I cannot support this project.

I hope you will find this letter helpful in explaining my position on this proposal which may soon come before the Council.

With best wishes,

Anne Main MP

[end letter]

Website editor note: Attached was a copy of the actual letter sent by Mrs. Anne Main MP to Cllr Robert Donald and bearing House of Commons letterhead. Also attached was an article [link to article] from the Financial Times which we've previously highlighted here.