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Tesco - Every little hurts

Is Tesco above the law? It would appear so on planning matters.

In Scunthorpe, planning officials out shopping at their local Tesco noticed that the floor space alloted to comparison goods (white goods, electrical goods, DVDs etc) was much larger than for which planning consent had been granted. Tesco was forced to submit a retrospective planning application, meanwhile continued to trade illegally. The matter eventually went to a Public Inquiry. Tesco won.

In Stockport, Tesco had planning consent for a 9,000 square foot superstore, they constructed an 11,000 square foot store, some 20% bigger than they had planning consent for. In a reply to a local resident Tesco said this was normal. To a parliamentary committee of inquiry they said they did not know how it could have happened

In the Wirral, Tesco breached restrictions on out-of-hours deliveries, on the maximum size of delivery lorries. There were four more breaches of planning conditions.

Breaches of planning conditions on deliveries is not restricted to Tesco. In Farnborough in Hampshire, Asda has regularly flouted restrictions on nighttime deliveries. The council turns a blind eye. As a sop to Asda, the council allows on a temporary basis, delivery to the front of the store. In order that the problem did not arise again, a new superstore planned for the centre of town (according to St Modwen front company KPI, a Sainsbury's superstore), there will be no planning restrictions on deliveries.

In Guildford, the local council granted planning consent to Tesco for 24-hour opening. It was not what the council wanted, and certainly not what local residents wanted. The council caved in because they did not have the stomach for a long protracted fight with Tesco.

At Gerrards Cross, construction of a new Tesco caused a tunnel to collapse across a busy railway line. Debris from the site (thousands of tonnes of incinerator waste) has been illegally dumped in the leafy Buckinghamshire countryside where it is visible from the Chiltern footpaths. One year on, and the slag heap is still there.

In the small Norfolk market town of Sherringham, it was learnt that Tesco had entered into a secret agreement with the council to restrict any other supermarket chain operating in the town and that the local council would support Tesco in any future proposals. This agreement was not known to councillors, all officials who were party to the decision have conveniently left the council. Tesco have admitted they have similar agreements with other councils.

Tesco does not have it all its own way. Local residents at Saxmundham said no to Tesco, and for once a local community was backed by its local council. As a result of what may be a temporary reprieve, local retailers are seeing a renaissance, people come from miles around to visit the quality stores. The town centre has also managed to buck the national trend of small independent stores closing down.

At Upton Park in the East End of London, market traders and local people have managed to see off proposals by property speculator St Modwen to destroy the century old Queen's Market for an unwanted Ada superstore. 12,000 people signed a petition to say no. It now remains to be seen what will happen next. Will St Modwen, with the help of the local mayor, find another supermarket chain?

It does not have to be so. We do not have to have as in Aldershot where an edge-of-town Tesco superstore has destroyed the town centre, that and the gutting of the town centre for an unwanted shopping mall and poor planning decisions by the local authority (all mention of which was censored out of the Wipedia article on Aldershot by a wikithug), or in Farnborough, where the same local authority has colluded with St Modwen front-company KPI to destroy the town centre for a proposed Sainsbury's superstore.

Alton, a small, relatively unspoilt market town in Hampshire, has managed to retain its character and many of its local shops. North Laine in Brighton with its maze of narrow streets and myriad little shops and restaurants is a major attraction of the town. Upton Park in the East End of London still has its market and a diverse range of shops in Green Street.

As local people in Saxmundham and Upton Park have shown, it is possible to say no, to see off the threat from property speculators and supermarket chains and maintain a vibrant local economy.

Stop Press: Wal-Mart (US owners of Asda) have recorded a record 27% drop in profit, have been forced to pull out of Germany, and the rumour in the City is that Wal-Mart is desperate to find a buyer for Asda as it has not performed as well as expected.

Web

http://www.tescopoly.org/

http://www.friendsofqueensmarket.org.uk/

http://www.neweconomics.org/

http://www.corporatewatch.org.uk/

http://www.foe.co.uk/

http://www.farmersmarkets.net/

http://www.theecologist.org/boxscheme

http://www.farm.org.uk/

Reference

Angela Balakrishnan, Asda pulls out, The Guardian, 17 June 2006

Paul Brown, Secret deals with Tesco cast shadow over town, The Guardian, 22 January 2004

Ben Farmer, Grocers prosper in town that saw off Tesco, Daily Mail, 26 June 2006

Markets create twice as many jobs as supermarkets and food is half the price, New Economic Foundation, 22 May 2006

http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/marketsvssupermarkets220506.aspx

Members kept in dark over pact, BBC News on-line, 21 June 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/5101590.stm

Keith Parkins, Farnborough town centre highway closures, UK Indymedia, 20 April 2006

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/04/338621.html?c=on

Keith Parkins, Tesco post record profits, UK Indymedia, 2 May 2006

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/05/339526.html

Keith Parkins, Wikipedia censorship, UK Indymedia, 11 May 2006

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/05/340273.html

Keith Parkins, Wikipedia Brighton page embroiled in controversy, UK Indymedia South Coast, 5 August 2006

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/southcoast/2006/08/346947.html

Keith Parkins, Alton, August 2006

http://www.heureka.clara.net/surrey-hants/alton.htm

Keith Parkins, Brighton, August 2006

http://www.heureka.clara.net/sussex/brighton.htm

Keith Parkins, The Regeneration Game, to be published

Rail tunnel collapse line opens, BBC News On-line, 20 August 2005

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/4169016.stm

Nic Rigby, Ombudsman examines 'Tesco pact', BBC News on-line, 17 May 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/4991926.stm

Nic Rigby, Officer signed secret Tesco pact, BBC News on-line, 6 June 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/5053240.stm

Nic Rigby, Cabinet gets report on Tesco pact, BBC News on-line, 12 June 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/norfolk/5069608.stm

Tesco 'breaching planning laws', BBC News On-line, 18 August 2006

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5261844.stm

Tunnel collapse causes rail chaos, BBC News On-line, 1 July 2005

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds/bucks/herts/4639671.stm

John Waite, Face the Facts, BBC Radio 4, 18 August 2006 {repeated 9pm Sunday 20 August 2006}

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/facethefacts/

Harry Wallop, Asda backs out of East End site after protest, The Telegraph, 17 June 2006

Keith Parkins

Comments

Hide the following 13 comments

indymedia supports israel

18.08.2006 17:16

shop at tescos they have plenty of israeli goods!!!

i hate communist scum

Toxic waste

18.08.2006 20:41

I heard a bit of BBC radio 4 programme this afternoon that listed all the tesco dirty deals with councils around the country.
The report covered the "spoil" from the collapsed tunnel, I was surprised to hear that it consists of ashes from incinerators some poor bugger has had 20.000 tons(at least) dumped in their back garden. this stuff is basically toxic waste and is considered dangerous even in italy where the (eco)mafia routinely deals with dangerous waste.
It seems that tesco's are on a par with britains finest and can quite literally get away with murder. This list is appalling, IMC UK should have a special section dedicated to this organized crime ring !

nano

fair article

18.08.2006 20:43

Fair article - would appear though that the above commenter didn't get the full message of it though. shame.

hmm

Why Not?

18.08.2006 23:21

I like Tesco, it provides a good quality service to the public at a fair price that is competitive with the other supermarkets around. They also treat the majority of their staff with dignity and pay highly competitive wages. Some people may think it is a shithole, I can think of many more worthwhile causes to get angry and be active for instead of attempting to destroy a generally not too shabby company. I mean I'm a resident of Crieff (small town in Scotland) where Tesco are fighting to build there new supermarket which would totally revitalise the area, except a few old people in the town dont want it because it will be built on the site of the Highland games, an old field which is nowhere near ideal to hold such an event. I personally, aswell as most of the community and surrounding ones, would love for the Tescos to be built as it would most likely give us all better consumer choice at a cheaper price than the delapidated Somerfield we have in place at the moment.

Thank you

Shotgun Jack

Get real

19.08.2006 09:38

Jack are you one of those people employed by Tesco's to go on critical sites to defend them as part of their PR and spin campaign?

1. Tesco's will not offer you more choice they will just force Somerfield and dozens of other shops in your town to close down. This will create fewer jobs as one big Supermarket employs a lot less people than a high street full of small independent buisnesses.

2. At the moment small buisnesses or market stalls are locally owned and profits they make stay in the local economy, whereas Tesco's hoover up all the profits and take them out of the local community and even Scotland in your case.

3. The issue here is why have Tesco's been allowed to again and again break the law, where as if you, I or the manager of your local Somerfield broke the law we would end up in prison. Tesco's have so much money that no-one, like a local authority in charge of planning will take them to court because Tesco's have £ millions to spend on legal action, whereas the average legal budget for a rural council is about £30 000 a year. So Jack why are you defending a criminal organisation who acts like a medieval robber baron?

4. When was it descided and in which political manefesto was it stated that the regeneration of towns in Britain was about giving enormous power and priviledge to Tesco's? Since when was planning a whole town around a single shop common sense. Funny once the Labour party talked about real jobs and real industry, now it just wants to keep it rich mates happy, and create micky mouse jobs.

Don't worry Jack your touching fawning to big buisness will I am sure insure you get a job stacking shelves in Tesco's. You will find it fulfilling work and your town will become proud of becoming Tesco town. You will get a job that you can hand on to your children and grand children down the generations, beacuse Tesco's will insure there will be no other possible form of gainful employment.

Vic

Thank you

19.08.2006 10:47

Thank you Vic for informing me on these specific facts. I am not however employed by Tesco, or have been at any point in my life, many of my acquaintices however do work there and feel that they are treated more fairly and paid more than in any local business. And I am afraid you are wrong about your judgement that it will put most shops out of business in Crieff as the majority of the shops are either Charity shops, Cafes, or resteraunts, any other shops are very specific and provide services that the average Tesco store would definetly not. Also I am glad that if ever I fall on hard times I could most likely get a job at the local Tescos, however I feel I might not considering this as I am studying to be a primary teacher, a career which is always in need of more people.
Thank you again.

Shotgun Jacks

Tesco - a few extra thoughts

22.08.2006 13:25

An error, in the original article: It should have read 9,000 square metres, 11,000 square metres, not square feet.

Yes, the article could have said more (suggest listen to the BBC Radio 4 Face the Facts programme), but was written in haste in order that readers could catch the repeat of the programme on Sunday.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/facethefacts/

One thing the article fails to mention is the huge warehouse distribution depot being planned to sit alongside Farnborough Airport. It is rumoured to be a distribution depot for Tesco. That it will sit alongside an airport indicates it will be used for airfreight.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/05/339526.html

Shotgun Jacks is talking drivel.

From his description of Crieff, it sounds like a failing town centre. The last thing he therefore needs is a superstore which will extract money out of the local economy.

Superstores don't give choice, they give the illusion of choice.

I suggest he reads the report by New Economics Foundation on Queen's Market at Upton Park in the East End of London.

http://www.neweconomics.org/gen/marketsvssupermarkets220506.aspx

Also read:

Joanna Blythman, Shopped: The Shocking Power of British Supermarkets, Fourth Estate, 2004

The Impact of Large Foodstores on Market Towns and City Centres, DETR, October 1998

Felicity Lawrence, Not on the Label, Penguin, 2004

Andrew Simms et al, Ghost Town Britain, New Economics Foundation, 2002

Andrew Simms et al, Ghost Town Britain II, New Economics Foundation, 2003

It is true, as he says, Tesco does have a track record of treating their staff better than other supermarket chains, but Tesco do not create jobs, they destroy jobs. On average 1200 jobs destroyed by each superstore.

A superstore is a generator of traffic, superstores are the biggest contributers of lorries on our roads.

One only has to look at Aldershot, like Crieff, another failing town centre. An edge-of-town Tesco superstore took business from the town centre. Admittedly it was not the only contributing factor, gutting the town centre for a shopping mall, bad planning decisions, and of late, large theme pubs for binge drinking, have all helped destroy a once proud Victorian town.

There was a very good description of Aldershot town centre on Wikipedia, at least there was until a wikithug, demonstrating his ignorance of Aldershot, decided to delete what was there as he didn't like what was written.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2006/05/340273.html

http://www.heureka.clara.net/surrey-hants/ald-shot.htm

compare

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldershot

with

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aldershot&oldid=52655400

For more on the impact of superstores on town centres (not Tesco specific) see

http://www.heureka.clara.net/surrey-hants/kpi-october2004.htm

If Shotgun Jacks is genuinely interested in revitalising Crieff, rather than being a prat, I suggest he looks at some of the work carried out by the New Economics Foundation.

http://www.neweconomics.org/

To open his eyes to the activities of Tesco, I suggest he visits:

http://www.tescopoly.org/

Keith

Face the Fact

23.08.2006 23:11

I suggest all of you who are disillusioned believing that crieff will become a blachole if Tesco is built here come here and visit, the "illusion" of choice??? its common knowledge that a bigger surface area hold more products, therfore offering more products to the customers, there is HARDLY any choice here whatsoever and any decent products that ARE available at the somerfield are just plain shit, now om sorry if I'm starting to become crude with my manners but I don't care if somerfields goes out of business, no-one does, its shit, and expensive, and poor quality , and delapidated, and old. The new tesco will surely give these people unemplyed at somerfields jobs as they will require staff needing little training to give the store a running start. I shall now list the exact shops in our centre (which is only for our small town of 3000 people) 7 cafes, 3 resteraunts, 4 fast food shops, two newsagents, 4 charity shops, a traditional sweet shop, and 4 old womans clothing vendors, oh and lest i forget the magic crystal shop. If ANY of these businesses become jeoprodised by this new Tescos ill eat the bricks Tesco is made from. I mean you get your facts right.

Shotgun Jacks

Face the Fact

24.08.2006 07:38

Shotgun Jacks

Another Shop

25.08.2006 11:11

Oh! And there's a fucking 365-day-a-year christmas shop!

Shotgun Jacks

Well, Black My Eyes and Slash My Writs...

04.09.2006 15:07

Shotgun Jacks is right, you bunch of bleeding-heart donkey-fucking revolutionaries! Chances are youll end up enjoying college in some new radical revolutionary group saying how shit it is working for the man in this "capitalist Democracy" of ours. Next thing you know your 32 living in a middle class suburban white housing estate with 2 kids a wife and a ton of paperwork for the so called man u once despised so much. still what ever keeps u off the streets

dickholes

my razor-blade rollercoaster rips through my veins in twain

Crieff Update

11.08.2007 15:28

As I know it now in Crieff the leading contender to build at the highland games site is Sainsburys instead of Tescos. My personal thought is that Crieff doesn't need another supermarket with a medium sized Somerfields and a Small Co-op already in the town.
Crieff is also within delivery distance of Tesco's and Asda in Perth so here's your solution Jack. If it refuses to deliver as far as you use a fake postcode. Easy.

Serj

You can't keep out supermarkets

27.07.2010 12:45

I live near Saxmundham in the so-called Cranbrook triangle. The nearest big 4 supermarket is 20 miles down the road. All we have locally is the Co-op and a Waitrose. The truth, as the office of Faior Trading found, is that big supermarkets keep the price of basics down. In Waitrose baked beans are 59p a can. In Iceland I've bought four Cross & Blackwell for a quid. Canned tomatoes and basic fruit and veg are all up to half price. The Co-Op has convenience store prices. This matters a lot if you arent earning a lot and have a large family to support.

To oppose supermarkets is protectionism. Prices go up and some businesses are protected. Nice for the wealthy. But it is the poor who pay.

Personally, I'd like to push for more markets. Not pricey affairs from "farmers" but geniune market stalls. These provide a good way to add variety to th retail mix and keep the supermarkets on their toes. Sadly outside London and the big cities they have faded away.

Max Hotopf
mail e-mail: max@hotopf.com

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