This article appeared today in Property Week. As well as a potted version of Tesco's rejection, it also lends weight to the idea that recent Government proposals to protect town centres may help St Albans reject Tesco's plans.
There's still no news from Tesco though, by the way...
Friday 18 July 2008
Monday 14 July 2008
Two Weeks Later - What Is Tesco Doing?
It's not that much of a surprise given 8 years of delay, but noone has heard a peep from Tesco yet in terms of what they want to do next with the London Road site. General opinion is that it will appeal the council's decision, but does it really want to create even more unpopularity?
Another way of creating unpopularity of course, is to annoy valued customers. A reader emailed this story to us recently about his experiences...
'Tesco have become so wealthy and powerful that they are living on a different planet from their customers - especially those who are disabled. My wife has to use a wheelchair and asked the other day to be taken to Tesco to do her shopping. On our return home I found that I had been fined £70.00 for using a disabled parking bay - even though the arrangements for my wife's visit had been made the day before and the wheelchair had been supplied by the store! Shop at Tesco and be treated like a criminal!
"PS. Not that their anti-disabled policy has done them much good. Five of us meet at Tesco every week to do our shopping: business worth about £25,000 per annum to the store. From next week, of course, this will be spent elsewhere.
"Good luck with your campaign. Decent society can manage without Tesco and their like."
Another way of creating unpopularity of course, is to annoy valued customers. A reader emailed this story to us recently about his experiences...
'Tesco have become so wealthy and powerful that they are living on a different planet from their customers - especially those who are disabled. My wife has to use a wheelchair and asked the other day to be taken to Tesco to do her shopping. On our return home I found that I had been fined £70.00 for using a disabled parking bay - even though the arrangements for my wife's visit had been made the day before and the wheelchair had been supplied by the store! Shop at Tesco and be treated like a criminal!
"PS. Not that their anti-disabled policy has done them much good. Five of us meet at Tesco every week to do our shopping: business worth about £25,000 per annum to the store. From next week, of course, this will be spent elsewhere.
"Good luck with your campaign. Decent society can manage without Tesco and their like."
Sunday 6 July 2008
This Sounds Like Good News!
Is the Government set to change its attitude to supermarkets? We're not suggesting that there's going to be a massive shift, but this article from the People does report Communities Secretary Hazel Blears as saying,
"Popping down to the local grocer's or baker's is more than just shopping. It is where people meet and identify with their community. That's why I am strengthening planning rules to better protect them."
If this is carried through this should help our case further. St Albans Council officials were unwilling to advise against Tesco's plans on the grounds that they would damage other shops, although councillors voted to add this. Hopefully, these new planning rules can be used to support the councillors' views.
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