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S.O.S TESCO'S ARE COMING

MR HOPEFUL | 25.02.2002 21:40

HELP NEEDED IN UNDERSTANDING PLANNING LAW

Can anyone please help me with some advice regarding what channels can be used to stop another tesco mega store opening in my area?
As of yet they have not submitted a planning obligation to change the use of land but have purchased the site and are hoping to have the store open by the summer! There is already a massive tescos 5 to 10 miles west of this proposed store as well as Asda and Morrison hypermarkets in the same radius. There are plans to try and regenerate my town centre, which like many others has become a ghost town. If Tescos are allowed to go ahead this will seriously damage those plans and be the final nail in the coffin for the small traders still surviving. I have no idea of what I can use to try and stop this multinational in its tracks, however I do reckon there could be a lot of objectors if I can start the ball running not least because of the threat it will cause to the regeneration plans for the town.
It would be great if we can stop them and send a message to them that they are not wanted and they can not have it all their way. They obviously think they will get all the relevant planning permission why else buy the land?
They reckon they will create 400 jobs? I cannot see this to be strictly true, 35 people have already lost theirs when tescos bought the land. These superstores take away the profits from the area, the profits going to the faceless shareholders.
Can anyone with any idea on how the planning process works please enlighten me.
Thanks

MR HOPEFUL

Comments

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Go for it !

25.02.2002 22:25

First you could try and get some info/advice on specifics of this case - try  http://WWW.rtpi.org.uk/planaid/index.html
Next try and get a local meeting of all objectors and get a campaign up and running - no time to lose. Publicity/posters and a visual presence starts to get the local politicians to sit up and take notice. Try and get everyone on board (contact your local Greenpeace, Green Party, Friends of The Earth, Earth First etc etc)and don't rule out any strategy - including people squatting the site if necessary. Planning law and procedures are really crap and about to get even crappier - check out the info on the Friends of The Earth Site (www.foe.co.uk) for the low down on the evil Blairies ideas on this one! Good luck mate.

Will Scarlet


One idea...

26.02.2002 02:44

Try contacting the Stroud News and Journal regarding the 'Stroud' Tesco and trees story. Natives of the valleys turned into tree-huggers and the huge carpark was built anyway, with a few trees saved. The incident happened a long time ago, but somebody in the Stroud News and Journal will know somebody who will know what to do...

SUV-driver
mail e-mail: stroud@gloucestersh.ire


Background info

26.02.2002 11:22

Sorry not much info on the actual planning side, but this might be useful as background info for motivating people etc.

Corporate Watch Supermarket Special Report
 http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/profiles/food_supermarkets/supermarkets.html

Monbiot's (old) supermarket articles:
 http://www.monbiot.com/dsp_thiscat.cfm?article_cat_id=27

local first


less jobs, not more

26.02.2002 12:25

Don't let them get away with the emotional blackmail argument of "creating more jobs". It's been consistently shown that the introduction of a large supermarket to an area results in a net decrease in employment. Sorry I don't have a reference to hand right now.

johnny_boy


Say no to Tossco

26.02.2002 14:07

There's a useful 'activists guide to the planning process' at the Land is Ours website
 http://www.oneworld.org/tlio/pubs/agp2.html

and advice on using the media at
www.toolkits.org.uk - The Activists media toolkit
(including databases of UK press contacts)

Corporate Watch have just published an A5 booklet
'whats wrong with supermarkets'- especially for folks campaigning against them
give them a call & they can give you details of how to get
one - 01865 791391

Good luck with the campaign

gnome


Tesco is Invincible ?

08.07.2005 20:28

We have the same problem in Ruthin . a market town of some 5000 people, Tesco have applied for permission to build a 27000 sq ft supermarket . . . . the two existing.......Coop and Kwiksave total 12500 sq ft and 9 cafes 2 chemists, ironmongers, fashion shops etc etc cannot possibly survive. I have sent several letters to the local paper eliciting a certain amount of support. I am trying to get a meeting of local traders together but they suffer from apathy. What else can I do ?

Michael Main
mail e-mail: michael.main@virgin.net