Residents Oppose Superstore Plans
Article published: Monday, July 27th 2009
Tesco are planning to build a huge new superstore in Trafford, but are facing opposition from residents who say it will damage the community.
The community campaign group Keep Chorlton Interesting (KCI) have challenged Trafford Council and the developers of the Lancashire County Cricket Club over development proposals for a new superstore in the area. They claim that the developers have failed to provide the community with accurate information, and have omitted to tell people that the current plans would see a 140,000 square foot Tesco superstore being built possibly the largest Tesco store in the UK.
The consultation also tells people a new foodstore is proposed on the land fronting Chester Road which already has full planning permission for a supermarket. However, planning permission was granted in January 2004 for a 48,502 square foot store only, not for this much larger development.
Questionnaires which include the question: “Would you support the creation of a new foodstore on land fronting Chester Road?” are being handed out at the consultation events in the area, but no information on the size of the proposed store is included.
Debbie Ellen, a spokesperson for KCI, said: “We welcome the development of the cricket ground, but not at this cost. A superstore of this size would have a devastating impact on the independent local traders in the surrounding areas. We are concerned that the consultation has not given local people accurate information before asking them if they support the development.”
Keep Chorlton Interesting believes that the scale of the proposed development would threaten local traders in both Stretford and Chorlton and has called on Trafford Council to live up to its recent publicity campaign urging people to support their local town centres.
A 2006 planning inquiry into an 88,000 square foot store demonstrated that a development this large of that scale would not be appropriate for the area. The Planning Inspector cited the impact the store would have on local centres as one reason for refusal, yet current proposals would see a superstore nearly 50 per cent larger than the rejected application.
More: Manchester, News
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