STOP TESCO : WRITE RIGHT NOW!

We're running out of time! The deadline for your personal email or letter to reach the District and County Councils is THIS FRIDAY.

We have received huge support when going door to door, in the city centre and at the public meeting, BUT this will mean nothing to St Albans Council if you don't write a formal objection to Tesco's planned development - even if you signed the petition and put up a poster, please, please write!

Remember to include your name, full address and the planning reference numbers : 5/2008/0369 and 5/2008/0370. Then send the letter or email to:

The Head of Planning and Building Control, Civic Centre, St Peter’s Street, St Albans AL1 3JE or email planning@stalbans.gov.uk

For traffic issues, please copy John Wood, Head of Environment, Hertfordshire County Council, County Hall, Hertford SG13 8DE or email john.wood@hertscc.gov.uk

A reminder of our key objections, which you can refer to in your letter...

• This is not a City Centre site; it is a 750 metre walk from the centre. A supermarket would drain trade and vitality from our main St Peter’s Street shopping area, and be a real threat to the City Centre and our historic 1,000 year old markets. 83% of local businesses oppose Tesco.

• Traffic in the London Road area is already very bad. This will make it much worse, with 70% more lorries and cars on London Road. Even Tesco admits that air quality would be adversely affected – nitrogen oxide levels already exceed EU limits.

• It would have a damaging and irreversible effect on the character and tranquillity of a unique group of Victorian residential streets in the Conservation Area. They survived the wholesale clearances of the sixties: they don't deserve noise and light pollution now.

• Once on site, Tesco may apply for extended opening hours – or, as in Hertford, to double the size of its building. It has to be stopped NOW!

• The Evershed’s site was once given planning permission for housing – there are much better uses for this site than a superstore. The area is one of the last big development sites left; the opportunity could be lost forever.

Thanks again for your continuing support.

PS - our 110-page submission to the council containing a forensic response to Tesco's application can be downloaded from here. Our planning team, especially Liz, Ian and Pete have produced a masterwork!