Say NO to a Tesco Superstore at Aston Martin Lagonda, Newport Pagnell
Say NO to a Tesco Superstore at Aston Martin, Newport Pagnell.
Tesco has submitted a planning application to Milton Keynes Council for the erection of a store of 15000 square feet with possible expansion to 20000 sq ft. This is almost the size of the Waitrose store (21000 sq ft) in Milton Keynes city centre. It is to be located about 500 metres from the town’s High Street on the Aston Martin Lagonda site in Newport Pagnell.
This proposed store will have a detrimental effect on Newport Pagnell High Street and the local area. Tesco’s size and market share mean they can dominate the local market.
A number of local people have formed an action group to oppose the plans and the campaign is well under way. If you live in or near Newport Pagnell and would like to get involved please join us. You can find out more our website, at http://NoTesco.org.uk. The site is new, but already we have a number of relevant documents to download, including simple campaign posters, copies of the plans, and various briefing documents, all accessible from our download section, and a handful of discussion forums which are gradually gathering pace. And if you want to get involved, please sign up to the site and let us know you’d like to help.
If you would would like to oppose the Planning Application for a Tesco Store at Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd. Newport Pagnell, please write to:
Ms Nicola WheatcroftSenior Planner
Milton Keynes Council
PO Box 125
Civic Offices
1 Saxon Gate East
Milton Keynes MK9 3ZJ
Or email to: planning.enquiries@milton-keynes.gov.uk
Or phone: 01908 252274
Head your letter with the following: Outline Planning Application for a Tesco Store and Ancillary Works at Aston Martin Lagonda Ltd Tickford St Newport Pagnell MK16 9AN: Ref No 09/00530/OUT.
Write that you wish to register your objections to the proposal to develop a Tesco Store of up to 20000 sq ft on the old Aston Martin site, Tickford Street, about 500 metres from the centre of Newport Pagnell.
You might also wish to send copies of your letter to our local MP, and the members of Milton Keynes Planning Committee
Say NO to a Tesco Superstore at Aston Martin, Newport Pagnell.
Derek
I don’t know what everyones problem is..You lot say you don’t want a big branded store in Newport Pagnell… What is the CO-OP?? What is Somerfield? Come on… This will be one of the best things to happen to Newport for many years. Cheap deals and bargains, who care’s if they might destroy the town. I can’t see it happening. Olney has a Tesco and that hasnt ruined nothing there.
If there was a petition for saying yes to Tesco i would sign my name on the very top of it. The world is changing.
For one i hope Tesco does get approval to build in Newport Pagnell.
Comment by James — May 7, 2009 @ 10:52 am
Hi James,
I’m guessing from your tone that you weren’t one of the 250 or so people who were concerned enough about their town, and particularly the proposed Tesco development, to turn up and squash into the Portfields Community Centre on the 9th April, nor are you one of the 80% of people who voted against Tesco in the poll on the Newport Pagnell Town Council website; nor do I expect you are one of the several thousand people who have signed the petition against the plans; nor will you me one of the many hundreds of people who have written or will be writing letters of objection to the Council. So yes, if by “everyone” you mean people who take an interest in their town, and are prepared to invetigate the facts and stand up for what they believe in, then I’m proud to be one of that unnamed “everyone”.
But since you’ve shown an interest, let’s take that a step further and examine the facts.
You say that Tesco haven’t ruined anything in Olney. Tell that to the people who live around the store, whose properties have been damaged and not repaired by Tesco’s workmen. And shops might not have started to close yet, but even Tesco don’t work that quickly to eliminate their competition. But even leaving this aside, have you any concept of the size of the proposed new Tesco? It’s not a little Tesco Express like they have in Olney; it’s going to be roughly four times the size of the Co-op on the High Street. And it’s within the centre; not half a mile away where it will catch and retain all the custom currently going to the High Street.
It’s true that the Coop and Somerfield are shops, and part of a large chain. But neither have a track record of putting other traders out of business once they move in. Neither have a history of bludgeoning through planning applications for whatever they want, even threatening cash-strapped councils with taking them to the High Court, if they dare to refuse their planning application.
Neither store are even a quarter as big as the proposed Tesco. And they are within the town centre - not half a mile away where they will just suck up trade and keep people out of the town centre.
There are a number of other reasons for refusal; When Newport Pagnell Town Council unanimously voted to reject the proposal on 15th April they covered a good many of them. You can find the minutes of that meeting here: http://www.newport-pagnell.org.uk/committeemeeting.asp?id=SX1074-A7808433 - I hope you do read it, you might find it iilluminating.
You’ve no doubt seen the Town Crier propaganda piece which presented itself as “the truth about the new tesco”, written by Tesco and placed there without the usual “Advertising feature” disclaimer; and the editor of the Town Crier has refused to allow equal space for a reply; I wonder why that might be?
But anyway, when you read it, did you notice the part about how Tesco are so wonderful in working together with existing communities, and cited Beverley in Yorkshire as a poster case of how Tesco are good for communities? Do a bit of googling, and you’ll soon discover that not everything in Beverly is sweetness and light.
- Shoppers complaining that if they part in Tesco’s car park and visit the town centre, they get parking tickets.
- Tesco claim that the town centre is much better for their presence - but even they admit in their own report that there are now twice as many vacant shops than there were before they moved in, and that local traders report a lower footfall. But they say that’s ok because it’s offset by the fact the town now has more CCTV cameras.
- The local people are currently fighting an application by Tesco to build a 50ft wind turbine in their car park. All part of Tesco’s commitment to looking green. There are far better ways of generating green energy, for example solar panels on the roof of a superstore would generate more energy than a wind turbine; but you can’t see solar panels, and for tesco, appearing to be green is all part of their marketing strategy.
- Tesco wanted to deliver their goods earlier than they had agreed to in their planning application, and went so far as to take the council to court when permission was refused. Tesco won, and now residents around the area are blessed with huge Tesco lorries arriving every morning at 6am.
- That a food market which had been thriving for 25 years closed it’s doors last year, citing the presence of Tesco and an Marks and Spencer food store as two of the main reasons they had to shut down.
The other point in that piece was that Tesco claim that the money that is spent in their store will be retained in Newport Pagnell, rather than going out of town. Yeah, right: the money goes to Tesco. Current estimates are that when money is spent in real local shops 55% of that money tends to stay in the community. When money is spent in supermarkets such as Tesco, less than 15% is ploughed back in to the community.
Do you really want the butchers, several bakers, etc. to close? Do you really think they will be able to stay open once Tesco have worked out what their bread-and-butter products are and undercut them until they close. And be assured, once they do that - and they will - they will then put their prices up again.
Do you really want to see SunnySide House Demolished? That’s what they will do because it would otherwise obscure the view of their “beautiful” fascia.
Have you really not thought about these things, or taken a little time to research them? Or is it that you just don’t care: thinking no further than “Well, if there was a big Tesco in Newport Pagnell I’d be all right; I don’t work in a shop in the town centre so my job won’t be affected; I don’t live near the site so I won’t be affected by the increased traffic, pollution, noise, etc.; and I can go and pay over he odds for my groceries in the new Tickford Street Tesco instead of travelling to one of the ten other Tescos which are within spitting distance of Newport Pagnell and paying over the odds there”.
Yep, that’s what it sounds like to me.
Derek
Comment by Derek Sorensen — May 7, 2009 @ 6:48 pm
Gosh. I got bored half way down reading that and had to skip to the end.
I like the hint of your sarcasam trying to get people on your side in Newport.
”I’m guessing from your tone that you weren’t one of the 250 or so people who were concerned enough about their town, and particularly the proposed Tesco development, to turn up and squash into the Portfields Community Centre on the 9th April, nor are you one of the 80% of people who voted against Tesco in the poll on the Newport Pagnell Town Council website; nor do I expect you are one of the several thousand people who have signed the petition against the plans; nor will you me one of the many hundreds of people who have written or will be writing letters of objection to the Council”
It seems you guess and expect a lot of things derek.
And your guessing this planning application will be over turned aswell? I hope that Tesco will prove you wrong. I bet you anything that your so called ”80%” of supporters opposing Tesco have shopped at Tesco once or twice?? Am i right. Of course i am.
Maybe you have forgot about the bigger picture. In these hard times of the reccession and not going to get out of it for years, the cheaper the better, and the likes of CO-OP and Somerfield charging stupid prices for there food and essentials is a joke. Tesco will come in and lower the price for everyones needs.
Another thing, If Tesco were to come to Newport, are you saying that the full ”80%” of your supporters will not shop there? I dont think so.. This whole protest is pathetic.
And also the protest the other day. What was that about? You clearly didnt think about anyone on that day. Just to poke fun at a super market, dressing up in ghost outfits closing off half of newport pagnell just for your needs. Newport Pagnell does not need that.Did you not also think of the heartbreak for some families of newport? Driving a hurse through the town just for fun having a joke?? I think it is disgusting that you carried out that joke of a show. Families in newport pagnell have lost friends and relitives which is a very upsetting time, and you and everyone jump on the band wagon to take the P*** out of it. I am disgusted! I have no more to say on the matter apart from Good Luck to Tesco, i hope they do get the permission need. And in the end. Tesco…Every little Helps.
Comment by James — May 12, 2009 @ 9:59 am
Hi James,
Nice to hear from you again. I’m sorry you didn’t feel able to read my comment, as I believe it answered the question you asked. I’d have been interested to read your thoughts about the specific points I made, rather than an angry rant.
By the way, I was mistaken about it being 80%. It was actually 79.91%, as you can see for yourself here: http://www.newport-pagnell.org.uk/polls/
But please don’t be misled. I am not under the illusion that just because the majority of people believe something to be true that makes it true. That’s why I have spent a lot of time researching not only the circumstances of the Tesco application in Newport Pagnell, but also Tesco and the way it operates, the effect on large superstores of any brand on market towns, and the results (and reasons for) a number of similar planning applications elsewhere. And the conclusion I have come to after my research and analysis is that it will be a very bad thing for the town.
But look, I have no desire to fall out with anyone. I have my opinion, which I have arrived at after considerable thought. You have your opinion, which I am sure you have spent just as much thought to arrive at. So let’s debate the issue rather than sling mud at one another.
If you’d prefer to continue via email, let me know.
Derek
Comment by Derek Sorensen — May 12, 2009 @ 12:24 pm
Derek,
I hear you load and clear, there is serious opposition to Tesco in NP.
But you fail to understand what many traders feel is outrageous and that is the 1000’s of NP residents who every week travel to Tesco in Wolverton and Kingston.
With every day that goes past several thousand £’s are spent in Tesco and other major supermarkets in MK. NP simply can not compete and as a result we are losing trade. Our clients are simply going elsewhere. Kingston has a pharmacy, health food shop, cobblers, hairdressers, travel agent, fitness club, coffee shops, card shop, wedding dress shop…. the list is endless and all this is available in our own Town centre. Some are national chains but all are benefitting from being by a Tesco because it draws in consumers. many of whom are driving over from NP.
This is where trade is being lost. It is being taken away from NP because we simply do not have the one big attraction that every consumer needs….a supermarket that offers lower prices and more choice.
Co-op and Somerfield do not offer it. You can’t do a weekly shop in NP at a reasonable price. Kingston has the choice…Wolverton has the lower cost shops. e.g. Netto and Farmfoods.
Several traders are losing out. We are seeing our customers go elsewhere. NP needs to adapt or every local trader slowly dies.
I don’t make these comments lightly. I know traders are having sleepless nights over Tesco many of whom are close friends. But we need a store that is going to keep consumers in the town or we all die.
Jimbo
Comment by jamie may — July 8, 2010 @ 11:44 pm
I live in Olney and can say quite safely that Tesco has not damaged the town in any way. The local food shops (McCols, Co Op, One Stop) were all getting so run down and were looking really messy, but as soon as Tesco opened they decided to tidy-up their acts and have a spring clean both on the inside and outside of the stores.
The High Street can’t stay living in the past… this could be a blessing for Newport Pagnell.
Comment by JP — August 3, 2010 @ 9:28 am