TESCO FEES DEMO AT BRIDGWATER HOUSE

Protestors outside Bridgwater House

Members of Bridgwater Forward took to the streets this week to demonstrate against Sedgemoor District Councils involvement alongside co-landowners Somerset County Council in the recent Tesco fee-pay scandal . A well attended protest outside the Full Council meeting on the 19th December was followed by several interventions at the meeting itself during Public speaking time.

 

Glen Burrows said afterwards "In answer to my question: ' Was the £20,000 originally part of the planning application fee requested of Tesco Ltd? " the answer was a very firm "Yes"

"In answer to my question: " Is flexibility of planning fees available to all applicants, or only to Tesco Ltd?" the answer was a very firm "No. Planning fees are fixed and there is no negotiating"!

'So complacent they don't care'

 

"They can't have it both ways! 1) Tesco has not paid the fee originally requested 2) Somerset County Council has paid that part of the fee, so council taxpayers have enabled Tesco to pay £20,000 less than was originally asked. Sedgemoor are now happy to admit this, but are so complacent that they don't care!"

"It's a bad situation if a planning authority is openly favouring a developer in advance of a decision being made about a major development proposal submitted by that developer. Furthermore, both authorities are joint landowners in this case. Our view is that the decision should go to an independent inquiry, since Sedgemoor are patently incapable of making an objective planning decision in this case. "

Sally Jones said " The whole process has been unfair right from the start. Now we are expected to submit questions for a meeting in January over Christmas period.!"

 

'Censorship'

 

Alec Western expressed his sadness at the censorship of his  contribution to the Planning debate. He had submitted  his observations to the Council website only to find them first heavily censored and then removed. He said " I carefully laid out my concerns and objections and a large proportion was deemed irrelevent by the planning department . Please inform me why other letters as submitted were not also subject to the same degree of censorship."

'No subsidies for Tesco'

 

SDC leader Cllr Duncan McGinty said "SDC has a policy to ensure that innapropriate comments are not published however we will treat this issue as a formal complaint."

 

'So what is the truth?!"

 

Bob Cudlip asked "So what is the truth about the Tesco fee issue? The chief exec of SCC  has said that SDC and SCC were working together to share the costs of the planning application."

 

Cllr McGinty replied " SDC hasn't paid a penny to Tesco."

 

The protestors concerns were taken up by Labour Councill Ian Tucker who tried to ask from within the meeting for clarification of the Tesco Fee payment only to be told by Chief Executive Kerry Rickards "It has been paid in full by Somerset County Council and I am looking forward to explaining this to the Corporare Scrutiny committee investigation in February."

TAXPAYERS ASKED TO FOOT TESCO'S BILL

BRIDGWATER FORWARD CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT PUBLIC INQUIRY

Today’s meeting of Sedgemoor’s Corporate Scrutiny Committee showed that Sedgemoor Tories do not understand public accountability! The news that Somerset County Council has subsidised Tesco’s planning application to the tune of £20,000 of taxpayers’ money was met with suggestions from Tory councillors that “Somerset County Council should deal with this”!

Bridgwater Forward says local people want to know why and how a deal was struck that enabled Tesco to duck part of their planning application fees, and why taxpayers have been asked to foot the bill!

Labour councillors have tried to call officers and councillors to account for bailing out Tesco, who have refused to pay the full cost of their planning application to build on the Brewery Fields and Northgate site.

'willing to subsidise a supermarket giant'

Councillor Julian Taylor (Labour) asked why a relatively impoverished local authority would be willing to subsidise a supermarket giant, and why it had taken so long to get answers to questions about the delays.

Given the unnecessary  demolition of the Splash swimming pool and now this subsidy for Tesco , it is easy  to understand why local people have lost faith and  confidence in the ability of  Sedgemoor District  Council to act in the best interests of Bridgwater.

Bridgwater Forward calls for an independent public inquiry into the proposed sale of the Northgate site to Tesco.

Bridgwater Forward says “it’s time Sedgemoor Tories declared an interest!”

It's astonishing that councillors who've supported community campaigns to save the Splash and prevent the sale of the Brewery Field are pressurised into 'declaring an interest'.

This surely confuses “taking an interest”, with declaring a “financial interest” : a strategy mainly aimed at preventing councillors from making decisions which will benefit them financially. It also attempts to stifle councillors who don't toe the Council line on any matter of public interest.

However,  isn’t there an ethical problem over any councillor who voted to sell the Northgate site to Tesco, also sitting on the Planning Committee which will decide whether or not Tesco is to be allowed to build its mammoth superstore on the Northgate site and Brewery Fields?

Sedgemoor District Council will receive £8 million for the sale of the Northgate site to Tesco. How then can members of the Planning Committee make an objective decision about the application to build a Tesco Extra there?

The solution is clear: the whole Tesco application must be referred to a public inquiry, with disinterested parties charged with making the decision.

ENDS

Further information:   07813 562 869 /  glenburrows@btinternet.com

THEY SAY TESCO-WE SAY NO GO!

The local plan says: “Tesco’s wealth

Is less important than our health

Green spaces must be allowed to stay

So children have somewhere to play”.

They ask our view of planning laws

And we say “No more superstores!”

Yet councillors look the other way

When they find Tesco willing to pay

To ruin our town, our heritage.

No wonder we’re in such a rage!

Consider, then, how people’s need

Is sacrificed to corporate greed

Your friendly local butchers’ shop

Trembling, awaits the Tesco chop

For Tesco are the bully boys

They’ll tell you where to buy your toys

And fridges, knickers, petrol, rice

All at a quite amazing price

But when the smaller shops have ceased

Guess what? Prices will be increased

They’ll bring us jobs you cry, they must!

Well, not if other shops go bust

Councillors cry – no other way

You’ve seen the bills we have to pay!

Yes – we saw how much it cost to destroy

The Splash, our much missed pride and joy

We’ve lost tourists and revenue to our town

No wonder shops are closing down

We know what brings visitors to our door

It isn’t supermarkets, that’s for sure

Because we’ve got six at this minute

Another makes no sense now, innit?

They say the developer is King

And superstores a wonderful thing

We say our town means more to us

Than being part of Tesco’s surplus

We want to keep our docks and green.

Scoops, Sarah’s Dairy, Aclands mean

More to us than a shopping mall

With Tesco products wall to wall

So, wake up Bridgwater, wake up and yell

Tell Tesco they can go to hell

THEY SAY TESCO, WE SAY NO GO!

A poem by Glen Burrows

Tesco -The Shepton Mallet Effect

Cllr Ian Tucker

At todays Planning Panel meeting of Bridgwater Town Council it was agreed to object to the proposal to build a Tesco on the Northgate site in Bridgwater. Town Councillor Ian Tucker (Labour,Dunwear) seconded the motion and explains below his studies that have shaped his decision.

 

"At a full council meeting on the 9th November 2011, I submitted a written question asking, amongst other things, 'can the leader confirm whether any research was  undertaken on the effect large supermarkets have had on other towns before signing the agreement to sell Northgate to Tesco' In response the Leader stated that with regard to the planning process ' this would inevitably involve an element of consideration of the impact on the Town Centre'  He would not go further on this except by saying that 'it would not be appropriate to interfere in the independent regulatory process that the Development Committee would go through'. To this day this question has never been answered although I think we all know the answer, I therefore decided to do a small survey myself.

 

The Shepton Mallet example

On passing through Shepton Mallet, on the way to the Independence Day event at Frome, it was clear that the town, although only a fraction of the size of Bridgwater

is very much laid out in a similar manner. I therefore decided to undertake a small survey on the effect Tesco has made since moving to the edge of this town.

Tesco is situated in a retail area separated from the town by a busy road, very much the same as is the case with the Northgate site.

The store is the largest unit, roughly 3/4 the size of Bridgwater's Asda, and is at the end of several fairly large retail units. The store consists of about 2/3 rds food

and 1/3 clothing and white goods. The other retail units are occupied by :- Pam Perem Pets - Laura Ashley - New Look - Sports Direct - Boots - Argos

There is a Tesco petrol station on site (as well as a Texaco one just outside) and a costa coffee shop a short walk away. There is free parking for several

hundred cars for a maximum of 2 hours.

town planners inaction......

 

Detrimental effect on the town

I crossed the busy main road to the tourist information centre which is part of Haskins retail Park. This retail park is comparable to Angel Place in its position to Tesco and the High street, although it is much posher. Screw Fix, DIY, Furniture and carpet outlets all under one roof with no empty units or cheap pound shops.

The staff in the information centre stated that since Tesco and the retail outlets had arrived there had been an increase in their customer numbers.This is probably due to the fact that Tesco attracts visitors going to Wells and beyond who can't help but see the information centre opposite. The Haskins retail park has experienced  a small downturn in foot fall, but I couldn't establish how much although it did not seem very busy at 1.00pm on a Monday.

I then went to the far end of the High street and visited eight different traders on the way back up. Every trader told me that Tesco and the retail units has had a detrimental

effect on the town. Some said that they could only go on because of the local loyalty of customers, others saying that if things get worse they will have to pack up

altogether. The owner of a large haberdashery told me that if he hadn't owned the shop outright he would not have been able to go on.

There is a Martins which contains a post office about half way down, the manager who was busy elsewhere I was told use to manage the one in Bridgwater. The assistant

I spoke to knows Bridgwater and just shrugged his shoulders saying "oh well another town heading for disaster"

Ian Tucker takes his campaign 'on the road'

A main road cuts across the high street , with the cross roads controlled by traffic lights. This compares to the town bridge in Bridgwater and the shops below to Eastover.

This is where the majority of vacant shops are. However I noticed none of them were boarded up and therefore they did not look so bad as those in Bridgwater.

In fact one had very attractive posters depicting life in Victorian times. Probably left over from the TV show some time ago featuring Shepton Mallet.

 

After seeing the traders I was very concerned that my time had now expired at the Tesco car park, and quickly moved my car to a pay and display park which is run for the Haskins retail centre. The cost of parking here is 90p per hour and it was about half full. The traders had told me originally the Tesco car park was free for 3 hours, others  said 4. Tesco had changed it to 2 hours some time ago, this left hardly any time to do shopping in the high street.

 

habit of banking land

I then went over to the council offices and met up with Cllr Jeannette Marsh a sitting councillor on Mendip District Council and Mr. Graham Brown who is the clerk to

the Town Council. Both had no doubt that although Tesco promised to bring economic benefits to the town centre the complete opposite has been the case.

They told me the previous smaller Tesco store was situated about a mile away and presented no problem, and although struggling the town centre was managing to

survive. Tesco had some problem at first letting the retail units although Boots and New Look did move from the High street at an early stage. The properties vacated by these

outlets still remain empty. A great deal of anger is still being felt over the move by Boots as it now means people, including the elderly, have to climb up a steep hill and

negotiate a busy road to get medical supplies as there is no other chemist in Shepton.

A short discussion then took place on the way Tesco do business. When applying for planning permission they stated that the store would be mainly food but may include

a small clothing outlet. However the adjacent unit remained empty for a while and was eventually taken over by Tesco and now sells TV's and other electrical goods.

The council apparently put a condition on the old Tesco site that it should not be sold by Tesco for retail use. However after some time it was eventually sold and became a

market garden owned by Dobbies, a company owned by- you've guessed it Tesco ! It was also pointed out that Tesco are in the habit of banking land, after doing the

minimum of build to satisfy planning regs then leaving it for years until trading picks up or land prices increase.

"We just hope your council knows what it's doing'

t wasn't clear where the section 106 money had gone but I was told that there was something like £175K for the town centre. I got the impression that there was some more

money put into the coffers of Mendip District Council, but like so many other places it has been used for various projects which are probably unknown to the public or probably

some of the councillors for that matter. I didn't think it was my place to ask too many questions of a financial nature although the town clerk did say he would email me interesting

information at a later date when he had got it together.

Finally they told me that we have a fight on our hands. In Shepton there had been a great deal of opposition by many in the council and the local residents had formed a pressure

group which managed to get a great deal of publicity, especially when they chained themselves to trees. When I told them it was council prime land that was being sold to Tesco they said " Well we just hope your council knows what it is doing"

Conclusion

 

Although Shepton is a fraction of the size of Bridgwater its layout is very similar. This very brief report I think proves that when a supermarket does move adjacent to the town centre

it does not regenerate the high street as Tesco and our council claim. The Shepton experience also shows how ruthless Tesco can be, caring nothing for the local community and only interested in money. There is one big concern for them however and that is the opening of a giant Morrisons store soon only five miles away. The fear is that even this

development will suffer and the whole shopping experience will shift towards Wells.

BRIDGWATER NEITHER NEEDS NOR WANTS ANOTHER SUPERMARKET

"We have reached a vital stage in the battle to save Bridgwater's town centre. We need everyone's help now in letting Sedgemoor know of their objections to this monster development. We'vegot until 30th November to write or email our objections.

 It isn't just a matter of one supermarket rather than another, but of the impact of a development of this size on the town, its people and existing retail outlets.

"A Monster building that will Dwarf the Landscape"

Why have Sedgemoor not marked out the space which would be occupied by this monster, as we have requested many times? Why? Because they know the shock this will provoke. Many people mistakenly think the development  is going to fit into the space  occupied by the former Splash, and don't realise that historic buildings and green space will be demolished to make way for a monster building that will dwarf the landscape.

If you want to see a smaller version of the "Tesco effect", go to Eastover and look at the Asda effect on local shops there. You ain't seen nothing yet!

"Aren't enough shopping Baskets to go round"

For a Tesco Extra to be viable as a business proposition, roughly 100,000 shopping baskets and trolleys per week will be needed That isn't just competition, it's annihilation for other businesses - and probably other supermarkets too. There just aren't enough shopping baskets to go round in a town with a population of around 40,000.

The jobs bonanza won't be anything of the sort - jobs will simply move from existing outlets to Tesco.

As for prices: it's a fair bet that Tesco's prices will be low enough at first to attract shoppers' loyalty away from other stores, but what will happen to those prices when the competition has gone bust?

"It's time we showed loyalty to our town"

As for Loyalty cards: Tesco only show loyalty to their corporate profits and shareholders. It's time we showed loyalty to our town and fought to preserve what we've got. And how about some loyalty from a Council that asked us a few years ago what we wanted to see in our town centre. We said overwhelmingly: "No more supermarkets. More leisure facilities".

It's very simple: Bridgwater neither needs nor wants another supermarket.

BRIDGWATER FORWARD

BRIDGWATER FORWARD CALLS ON PUBLIC TO OBJECT TO THE PROPOSED TESCO EXTRA AT BRIDGWATER NORTHGATE

Tesco’s application to build a massive Tesco Extra on the Northgate site has finally been officially registered. It’s vitally important that members of the public submit objections NOW – this can be done on-line from the Council’s web-site( www.sedgemoor.gov.uk) , or in writing to the Case Officer, Rebecca Miller (all details are on the web-site)
The public has until 30th November to comment on the application. Go to the Sedgemoor District Council web-site, and then go to the Planning section. The Tesco Planning Application Number is 08/12/00168, or you can find it by just ticking on the box for Weekly Lists

You can also find advice here about how to comment on an application, and the things that the Planning Committee will take into account:

 The things you can comment on are:

• National, Regional and Local Planning Policy and guidance.
• The appearance and character of the area or street, including the design and
materials of buildings, landscaping and tree loss,
• Other environmental issues (e.g. noise),
• Traffic generation and road safety,
• Impact of the building on its neighbours (e.g. overshadowing, overlooking or
loss of privacy),
• Effects on the landscape and the need to protect the open countryside.
• If you are not opposed in principle to a proposal but believe that restrictions
should be placed on the development (e.g. hours of working, appropriate materials)
then you may wish to suggest conditions that Sedgemoor District Council could
impose on any consent.

Issues the Case Officer can’t include when assessing an application, are:
• Civil matters such as land ownership, private rights of way and restrictive
covenants. These are usually private matters on which objectors may need to
get legal advice.
• The fact that development may have already begun. If permission is refused
the Council has powers to have the matter rectified.
• Matters that fall within other legislation, for example, building regulations
or consent to discharge into a watercourse.
• Loss of an attractive view from a private property.
• The fear that an objector’s house may be devalued. You should focus your
comments on why the proposal could result in a loss of value to a private
property.

Have a look at the detailed plans, in case you hadn’t realised what a massive building this will be, and the existing buildings and green space which will have to disappear.

Don’t let Tesco get away with destroying our Town Centre

TESCO & SEDGEMOOR- “WHAT ARE THEY UP TO ?” ASKS BRIDGWATER FORWARD

Tesco’s much delayed planning application to build a monster store on the Brewery Fields has finally been submitted to Sedgemoor District Council.  Or has it?

An application was received some weeks ago and council officers and councillors have certainly met with Tesco to look at the details of the application, but there is nothing on the Council’s website, and no Planning Notice has been issued to the local press.  A deathly silence has descended, and Bridgwater Forward issues a challenge to Sedgemoor District Council to let the public know what is going on.

It  turns out that Sedgemoor DC have been in talks with Tesco since 2005.  Very few councillors knew about this until recently. Once again, this matter is shrouded in uncertainty and secrecy. Why?

Because both Tesco and Sedgemoor know that there will be enormous opposition to the application, which has caused the loss of our town centre swimming pool and involves the sale of a major town-centre open space into private ownership.

Said Bridgwater Forward Chair Sally Jones: “ Are they hoping people will be too busy with Carnival and Christmas to bother objecting to the proposals? Come on Sedgemoor, tell us what is going on. When are you going to publicise this application so the public has a chance to comment?”

In a recent survey of Bridgwater shoppers carried out by Bridgwater Forward, 61% said they would refuse to shop at Tesco.

Contact: GLEN BURROWS   07813562869/ glenburrows@btinternet.com

2,400 name signature adds to Post Office woes

Hero of the Day-Ken Trunks (pic Andy Slocombe)

Hero of the day, Ken Trunks, has spent the best part of the last few weeks out on the streets of Bridgwater getting signatures for a petition to oppose the Post Offices proposed move to Sainsbury's.  With only a week to go until the consultation ended, Ken turned up at the Town Council's specially called meeting on Post Office relocation and presented in person 2,400 names to the man who will make the final decision, Mr Tony Jones.

Bridgwater Forward members attending the meeting  were at the forefront of the grilling given to Mr Jones with no single dissenting voice in the room.

Sally Jones, Chair of Bridgwater Forward,  said "They have chosen a site on the Clink which is so difficult for the disabled to access " 

 

Glen Burrows said "No one believed supermarkets  were the best option as Post Offices needed skilled workers. She also asked why  this valuable and unique service was being thrown on the mercy of market forces when other towns the size of Bridgwater had dedicated crown Post Offices". She further asked whether it was a level playing field with potential small businesses being priced out of the market by large multinationals.

 

Bob Cudlipp asked for other locations to be considered and asked where they had looked so far.

 

 

 

Nick Gibson asked if the decision had already been made  and "was there a smiling face behind the smokescreen?" 

 

   Tony Jones assured him that "No final decision has been made yet" he said he would listen and a decision would be taken by the end of september.

 

The consultation ends on the 5th September and people are urged now to make their submissions.

email consultation@postoffice.co.uk

Telephone 08457223344

Write National Consultation team PO Box 1138 St Albans AL19UN

 

 

 

 

TRADERS PUT THEIR CASE TO BRIDGWATER FORWARD



Eastover 'in the olden days'

Members of campaign group Bridgwater Forward welcomed representatives of traders in Eastover to their meeting last week, to discuss problems and solutions for independent traders in Bridgwater.

In spite of being overshadowed by ASDA, threatened by the possibility of a super-sized Tesco and surrounded by boarded-up premises, Eastover traders still manage to offer an amazing variety of retail outlets, along with excellent service.

Independent 

Sedgemoor District Council and the Bridgwater Retail Initiative should  consult with and represent the interests of independent traders more effectively, rather than focusing on large stores and supermarkets.

Bridgwater Forward is urging people to contact Post Offices Ltd and ask for the Post Office in Bridgwater to re-locate to Eastover rather than to Sainsbury’s store. This will to help lead to a re-generation of a retail area competing with ASDA.

 'Clean up Eastover'

 A “Clean-up Eastover” campaign was also discussed, and the group will approach Sedgemoor District Council about this.

Above all, Bridgwater Forward urges local people to respect and use their local shops. Said one member: “ For fresh bread, cakes and flowers, good second-hand furniture and books, great food and pubs, and all your “do-it-yourself “ requirements, you can’t do better than Eastover, so let’s use them, so we don’t lose them”.

NEXT MEETING OF BRIDGWATER FORWARD: Tuesday 7^th August, 7pm, Railway Club, Wellington Road, Bridgwater

CAMPAIGN ALERT AS TESCO BID IMMINENT

Tesco’s plan to build a massive and unnecessary supermarket on the Brewery Fields is on the move and Bridgwater Forward is urging local people to prepare to make formal objections.

A pre-planning application has been submitted for council officials’ initial comments. Tesco will then submit a formal planning application to the Council’s Planning Committee, rumoured to coincide with the end of August holidays.

As more green spaces in town centres disappear, along with sports and playing fields, Bridgwater Forward is campaigning to raise awareness of the effect the sale of the Brewery Field to a huge corporation will have on our community and landscape, both now and in the future.

The Government’s recently published National Planning Policy Framework gives specific guidelines to protect green spaces and minimize the effect of development on biodiversity. Green spaces must be proved to be surplus to requirement, before they can be developed. Any loss of open space should be replaced by the equivalent in area and quality

 The proposed development of Northgate will also mean the demolition of the Enterprise Centre, the former hospital wing of the Bridgwater Workhouse and some forty trees, including cedar, walnuts, lime, field and Norway maples, home to nesting birds and a safe food source for bees.

For more information and guidelines on how to prepare a formal objection contact Bridgwater Forward on 01278 450562 or 450095. 

Find us on our website at http://bridgwaterforward.blogspot.co.uk or on Facebook: "Save Bridgwater Town Centre"

The next meeting of Bridgwater Forward is at 7pm on Tuesday 24^th July at the Railway Club, Wellington Road, Bridgwater

SAVE OUR TOWN CENTRE – BRING BACK OUR POST OFFICE!

Campaign group Bridgwater Forward welcomed the news that Post Office Ltd are holding a public consultation over the siting of Bridgwater’s Post Office, but say that a public meeting with a regional network manager is not enough.

Bridgwater Forward says that local MP Ian Liddell-Grainger should meet with the head of Post Office Ltd to demand that they replace our present Portakabin with a town centre, Crown Post Office. He should also raise the matter in the House of Commons as a matter of urgency for the town. We have lacked decent post office facilities for too long now.

Disgrace

Said Chair Sally Jones:  “Our MP says what has happened to our post office facilities is a disgrace, but what is he planning to DO about it?”

Bridgwater Forward was set up because the destruction of the town’s swimming pool and the proposal to build a Tesco Extra, threatens the viability of our town centre. Just as a giant Tesco will draw trade away from our town centre shops, a town centre post office will bring people into the town. 

 Not Good Enough

 Said Co-Chair Dave Chapple: “ We have seen far too many public consultations in Bridgwater which result in people’s wishes being totally ignored. The loss of a town centre post office and its effect on our town and its people should be raised at the highest level possible. Post Office Ltd apparently want just the cheap, safe option in Sainsbury’s. That is not good enough!” 

The next meeting of Bridgwater Forward is on Tuesday 24^th July, 7.15pm, at the Railway Club, Wellington Road, Bridgwater: All welcome!

Further details contact 01278 450562

TESCO PRE-APPLICATION IS IN



NO TESCO WANTED-BRIDGWATER

People concerned at the planned Tesco development on Northgates Brewery field should be aware that the 'Pre-Planning' Application is currently being considered by Sedgemoor District Council officers.  Campaign Group Bridgwater Forward has been warning for some months that this is imminent .

disclosure

NO TESCO WANTED-HACKNEY

Glen Burrows  of Bridgwater Forward said "Now that the pre-application is in,  we need to get ready for the main planning application. At the moment we are querying whether SDC has the right to refuse disclosure of the pre-planning application even to councillors."

public domain

NO TESCO WANTED- BRISTOL

Cllr Brian Smedley said "The idea is apparently to tease out issues which are potential non starters and is said to be fairly common practice for large pre application consultations  involving various officers on an internal consultation basis within Sedgemoor.  We are being told that as it is a draft it is technically not in the public domain. However, this needs to be brought into the public domain as soon as possible and elected members need to know what's going on. People can be reasonably assured that we are rapidly approaching 'end game ' on this one"

NO TESCO WANTED-YORKSHIRE

meetings

Anyone who wants to support the Campaign against the development is invited to attend the meetings  at the Railway Club on Wellington Road, Bridgwater-the dates are  10th July, 24th July, 7th August, 28th August. All 7pm. 

NO TESCO WANTED-CAMBRIDGE