Thanks to Sara Phillips and Ian Langford for their letters to the Herts Advertiser this week. Sara has a problem with the corporate optimism of Tesco's Michael Kissman, and Ian wonders why Tesco has not released the results of its second consultation, but instead a survey showing that only 1 in 3 shoppers in St Albans wants its store!
Thanks for all these letters.
By the way, there was a letter in the St Albans Review yesterday supporting Tesco - but the letter writer lived in Enfield! Anyone nearer like Tesco?
Thursday 28 February 2008
Saturday 23 February 2008
More Tesco Traffic Congestion Attracts AA Opposition
Another Tesco plan has run into fire over the potential for massive traffic congestion. The Automobile Association, Friends of the Earth, two Conservative former ministers and local campaigners are fighting Tesco's proposed 'MegaShed' - a massive distribution centre close to Stonehenge, reports The Guardian.
The planned distribution centre would be a massive 85,000 sq m (forty times as big as the St Albans store!) and would lead to thousands of lorries rolling down the picturesque (and massively crowded) A303.
The article also shows Tesco's usual disdain for local people - the company refuses to engage with them and tries to support its plans with claims that lots of jobs will be provided (although they will presumably replace jobs elsewhere) and that 'traffic improvements will get around the problem', without saying what these will be.
The planned distribution centre would be a massive 85,000 sq m (forty times as big as the St Albans store!) and would lead to thousands of lorries rolling down the picturesque (and massively crowded) A303.
The article also shows Tesco's usual disdain for local people - the company refuses to engage with them and tries to support its plans with claims that lots of jobs will be provided (although they will presumably replace jobs elsewhere) and that 'traffic improvements will get around the problem', without saying what these will be.
Thursday 21 February 2008
Tesco's Weak Survey
Readers of the Herts Advertiser will have noticed this article today, about a survey Tesco undertook in St Albans City Centre. Tesco claims the results show 'a silent minority not opposed to Tesco's plans'. The survey of 301 people apparently found that 34% were against a Tesco store, 36% in favour and the rest undecided.
We have many problems with the survey, some of which were mentioned in the article. Firstly, the survey methodology seems a bit curious - Tesco claims to have asked people to score their opposition or support on a scale of 1 to 100, but then converted this into three categories.
We suspect this is because the survey showed a high level of committed opposition, along with weak support - this would fit well with our experience of talking to people in St Albans City Centre - a lot of people who don't live near the site aren't too bothered initially about the idea - until they find out about the traffic problems and likely damage to the market and other local shops.
Secondly, it is interesting that Tesco don't say what questions it asked. Many people to be honest might well prefer Tesco to the current wasteland, but if given the choice between use of the land for a supermarket, or for a school and housing, the vast majority in our experience will choose the school and housing!
Thirdly, surveying shoppers in St Albans will only give a partial picture of the feeling of local people. We know from our own survey that 83% of local business people oppose the store. The Green Party and Liberal Democrats both report that an even greater proportion of people who live near the site are opposed.
Finally, we find it very gratifying that despite its massive PR machine, 15,000-strong leaflet drops and 'extensive local consultation', after eight years of owning the land, Tesco is celebrating the fact that only just over 1 in 3 of just one of the three important groups of local people actually want its store.
We have many problems with the survey, some of which were mentioned in the article. Firstly, the survey methodology seems a bit curious - Tesco claims to have asked people to score their opposition or support on a scale of 1 to 100, but then converted this into three categories.
We suspect this is because the survey showed a high level of committed opposition, along with weak support - this would fit well with our experience of talking to people in St Albans City Centre - a lot of people who don't live near the site aren't too bothered initially about the idea - until they find out about the traffic problems and likely damage to the market and other local shops.
Secondly, it is interesting that Tesco don't say what questions it asked. Many people to be honest might well prefer Tesco to the current wasteland, but if given the choice between use of the land for a supermarket, or for a school and housing, the vast majority in our experience will choose the school and housing!
Thirdly, surveying shoppers in St Albans will only give a partial picture of the feeling of local people. We know from our own survey that 83% of local business people oppose the store. The Green Party and Liberal Democrats both report that an even greater proportion of people who live near the site are opposed.
Finally, we find it very gratifying that despite its massive PR machine, 15,000-strong leaflet drops and 'extensive local consultation', after eight years of owning the land, Tesco is celebrating the fact that only just over 1 in 3 of just one of the three important groups of local people actually want its store.
Wednesday 20 February 2008
Tesco Application Invalid!
No, it's not time to celebrate yet, but we thought it worth letting you know that the planners at St Albans Council have rejected Tesco's application as 'invalid'. In practical terms it just means that Tesco have to rework their application and resubmit it, but we can imaging some unhappy people at Tesco's head office tonight!
All those billions of pounds and they can't buy in the right advisors to get an acceptable planning application in!
All those billions of pounds and they can't buy in the right advisors to get an acceptable planning application in!
Friday 15 February 2008
Let Battle Commence!
At long last (eight years and counting) Tesco has finally submitted its application for a store in London Road. Having said that, it couldn't stop one last error - sending out the press release announcing the planning application before checking the application itself had arrived - not the best way to get the planning people on your side, Tesco PR people!
The details of the application are reported in the Herts Advertiser and the St Albans Review. Both articles show unanimous opposition from local politicians, with council leader Robert Donald (albeit speaking with his local councillor hat on) joining the opposition.
Now is the time for the people of St Albans to unanimously send a message to Tesco that we don't want the store - so we can move on and do something good for the City with the land. We will find out very soon who you can write to at the council to register your objection to the development, but in the meantime, please could you...
1. Write to the local papers setting out your objections - email the St Albans Review at revieweditor@london.newsquest.co.uk, or the Herts Advertiser at hertsad@hcn.co.uk. We need to make sure that they see local people are against the development.
2. Write to your local councillor - details here
3. Make a donation to our campaign - please make cheques payable to Stop Tesco St Albans Limited and send to 33 Alma Road, St Albans.
4. Print out a new Stop Tesco poster if the one you have is looking tired, or persuade your neighbours to display them as well. You can find them here.
5. Sign up for our email updates so you'll know about our forthcoming protest meetings and activities. Use the Yahoo Groups sign-up on the right of the blog.
The details of the application are reported in the Herts Advertiser and the St Albans Review. Both articles show unanimous opposition from local politicians, with council leader Robert Donald (albeit speaking with his local councillor hat on) joining the opposition.
Now is the time for the people of St Albans to unanimously send a message to Tesco that we don't want the store - so we can move on and do something good for the City with the land. We will find out very soon who you can write to at the council to register your objection to the development, but in the meantime, please could you...
1. Write to the local papers setting out your objections - email the St Albans Review at revieweditor@london.newsquest.co.uk, or the Herts Advertiser at hertsad@hcn.co.uk. We need to make sure that they see local people are against the development.
2. Write to your local councillor - details here
3. Make a donation to our campaign - please make cheques payable to Stop Tesco St Albans Limited and send to 33 Alma Road, St Albans.
4. Print out a new Stop Tesco poster if the one you have is looking tired, or persuade your neighbours to display them as well. You can find them here.
5. Sign up for our email updates so you'll know about our forthcoming protest meetings and activities. Use the Yahoo Groups sign-up on the right of the blog.
Thursday 7 February 2008
More Support in the Herts Advertiser
Thanks to the Herts Advertiser for publishing an article and a letter supporting our campaign today. The letter is from Simon Grover of the Greens in St Albans and asks why Tesco has still not put its planning application in, despite promising to do so by the end of April. The article covers our research on traffic problems.
Wednesday 6 February 2008
Tesco’s Traffic Nightmare on London Road
A number of Stop Tesco volunteers have been spending their Saturdays counting cars even though the middle of the winter - we salute you! We can also reveal their findings, which should make grim reading for Tesco.
The research found that building a Tesco store in London Road, St Albans could cause a 70% increase in traffic movements in the local area. It predicts over 2,000 traffic movements per hour between 11am and 3pm on Saturdays. Tailbacks in London Road that already block the end of Alma Road would be made significantly worse, causing gridlock in the area.
Our volunteers spent several Saturdays counting existing traffic levels on London Road as well as the traffic in and out of the Sainsbury’s store in Everard Close, which is a similar size to Tesco’s proposed store. When added together, the massive increase in traffic movements is seen on the graph below.
Tesco’s planned store will rely hugely on car-based visitors as the majority of buses from the East of St Albans pass the existing Morrisons store and then go down Victoria Street away from the proposed site. In addition, if the Tesco car park is full, there is no available overflow parking, which will lead to further pressure on nearby residential areas.
Tesco’s published plans for its new store show a total lack of awareness of the scale of traffic problems its store would bring to this part of St Albans. The store will gridlock the entire local area, but all Tesco has suggested is a short slip lane and one controlled crossing, plus some rephasing of existing traffic lights.
We cannot see how any further improvements would alleviate the problem, given the narrow streets and Victorian street plan of the local area – there is nowhere else for traffic to go!
Thanks also to the St Albans Review for this article on the research! Please add your comments.
The research found that building a Tesco store in London Road, St Albans could cause a 70% increase in traffic movements in the local area. It predicts over 2,000 traffic movements per hour between 11am and 3pm on Saturdays. Tailbacks in London Road that already block the end of Alma Road would be made significantly worse, causing gridlock in the area.
Our volunteers spent several Saturdays counting existing traffic levels on London Road as well as the traffic in and out of the Sainsbury’s store in Everard Close, which is a similar size to Tesco’s proposed store. When added together, the massive increase in traffic movements is seen on the graph below.
Tesco’s planned store will rely hugely on car-based visitors as the majority of buses from the East of St Albans pass the existing Morrisons store and then go down Victoria Street away from the proposed site. In addition, if the Tesco car park is full, there is no available overflow parking, which will lead to further pressure on nearby residential areas.Tesco’s published plans for its new store show a total lack of awareness of the scale of traffic problems its store would bring to this part of St Albans. The store will gridlock the entire local area, but all Tesco has suggested is a short slip lane and one controlled crossing, plus some rephasing of existing traffic lights.
We cannot see how any further improvements would alleviate the problem, given the narrow streets and Victorian street plan of the local area – there is nowhere else for traffic to go!
Thanks also to the St Albans Review for this article on the research! Please add your comments.
Friday 1 February 2008
Thanks To Our Donors
Many thanks to those who sent us cheques following our appeal for donations. If you're one of them and wonder why they've not been cashed, we were waiting for formal clearance of our new company, STOP Tesco St Albans Limited.
The good news is that the company is now up and running. This will allow us to accept and account for donations ourselves - up to now we've relied on help from the wonderful St Albans Civic Society!
Further donations would be gladly accepted - we all know the size of Tesco's pockets. Cheques can be sent to STOP Tesco St Albans Limited at 33 Alma Road, St Albans, AL1 3AT. Thanks!
The good news is that the company is now up and running. This will allow us to accept and account for donations ourselves - up to now we've relied on help from the wonderful St Albans Civic Society!
Further donations would be gladly accepted - we all know the size of Tesco's pockets. Cheques can be sent to STOP Tesco St Albans Limited at 33 Alma Road, St Albans, AL1 3AT. Thanks!
Tesco Extension 'An Eyesore' - And No Planning Permission Either!
The Bury Free Press reports the latest from the dispute between Tesco and local residents in the town. Tesco built an extension to an existing store without planning permission, and were then refused retrospective permission. Now Tesco has come up with a new plan, but it still doesn't seem to have worked. One local said,
'I think they should take the whole thing down. It just looks hideous. We haven't got a view because of it. We used to be able to see the sky from the kitchen window but all we see now is that building."
Of course, we wouldn't expect Tesco to pass up the opportunity to put in a bit of spin, and we were very excited when we read that it was from our friend Michael Kissman.
By the way, Michael, it is now February - could you let us know why you've fallen behind the timetable you published on your website (reproduced below)? You said we'd have a planning application by now!
'I think they should take the whole thing down. It just looks hideous. We haven't got a view because of it. We used to be able to see the sky from the kitchen window but all we see now is that building."
Of course, we wouldn't expect Tesco to pass up the opportunity to put in a bit of spin, and we were very excited when we read that it was from our friend Michael Kissman.
By the way, Michael, it is now February - could you let us know why you've fallen behind the timetable you published on your website (reproduced below)? You said we'd have a planning application by now!
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