The proposal was rejected mainly on the grounds of the potential traffic hazard (not to say pedestrain hazard), the new shop would create, not only due to the extra delivery trucks required for servicing the store (up to 45 a week), but also the extra motorists the store would attract and the congestion and parking problems this would create.

Other reasons for rejecting the planning application included the noise and disturbance caused to local residents by a combination of noisy air conditioning and refridgeration units that would have to be installed, and the disturbance caused by deliveries at all hours of the day.

The proposed opening/delivery times for the store would have been "between the hours of 0700 and 2300", but as was pointed out by some residents present at the meeting, trucks are most likely to turn up half an hour early to ensure they can park and unload on schedule, so residents might get woken up at 6:30am by delivery trucks pulling up outside their homes!

When the decision was made, it was greeted by cheers from all those gathered in the hall (with maybe the exception of the Tescos rep), and people raising their "NO" signs in the air in solidarity.

This represents a real sea change in attitudes as well as a seminal moment in Cambridge's history.

The message that corporate chain stores will take away from this is that the citizens of Cambridge don't want all of their city centre to be bland and homogenised. They want to see a vibrant and varied community, which supports small businesses, as well as larger concerns.

And long may it be so.

This truly is a Victory for Common Sense.