Thame residents fear impact of Tesco
On 17/11/2014 At 2:12 pm
Category : Missed a ThameNews story?, More News, Thame news
Responses : 21 Comments
A group of Thame residents is planning a campaign to oppose a proposal for a Tesco store and petrol station on the outskirts of the town, because they fear its effects on them and on town centre businesses.
A recent Tesco store in Newmarket
Chair of the East Thame Residents Association, Bob Austin, told Thamenews.net: “Our reasons for opposing the Tesco development- subject to confirmation at a general meeting- are based on of its potentially adverse impact on residents in the surrounding area as well as on the prosperity of the town centre itself. In particular:
1. The DAF site is surrounded on three sides by residential dwellings and the scale of the development would seriously affect the quality of life of those people living there. The superstore would be open from 7am to 11pm- we presume the petrol station would be the same (?)- and the noise and light pollution could be a serious problem. The latter would obviously be exacerbated by delivery vehicles. Traffic on the bypass could be problematic and would need to be carefully managed.
2.The DAF site is zoned for employment use only and would require a ‘change of use’. The latter normally requires a one year period of advertising to establish a justification for change. Given the uncertainties imposed by the Local Plan 2031 on housing numbers for Thame, the site should not be waved through for change of use automatically before future needs are clear.
3.The building of a superstore would be contrary to the Thame Neighbourhood Plan (TNP). Page 28 of that document states: “Thame is a small town and any major shopping development outside the town centre would be likely to undermine the town’s vitality and the viability of town centre shops”. These words are a confirmation of an independent study undertaken when Tesco previously sought an edge of town superstore.
4.The TNP identified an additional food (or convenience) retail need of only 600 sq. metres (6500 sq. feet) by 2027. The new superstore would be six and a half times that size. As a community we should address need not just convenience.
5. We are concerned at the potential to replace the employment land at DAF by other sites around the town. The additional land (not in the TNP) given to the new warehousing on Howland Road was in part justified as replacing the employment land taken by the ‘permitted development’ conversion of the old Angus Fire Armour Offices into flats.
“Any decision on the DAF site development should not undermine the well-being of residents or of town centre itself. Thame is justly proud of its ability to resist the retail blight that has hit other towns and should continue to do so.
“The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) emphasises that the promotion of town centre vitality must be the core policy. We would urge that Thame Town Council ensure this is the case by commissioning its own study, independent of that required of Tesco, and supporting the conclusions of the Neighbourhood Plan. The latter may bend but it should not be allowed to break.”
Editor: A response from Thame Town Council and South Oxfordshire District Council is awaited
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rubbish us of Churchill Crescent and near by residents would look forward to no Taxi fares of £4.50 or £5. each way for every time we go shopping.
Thame is a growing town with new houses being built all over and it needs more strong business brands to help continue the growth and modernisation of Thame!
I support Tesco in thame, it will save me driving to Aylesbury at least Tesco has food on the shelves unlike waitrose. The nimbies blocked Sainsbury for what, what is happening to the eyesore cattle market!!!
Your last 2 comments did indeed pass the moderation process; See: https://www.thame.net/archives/18041#comments
It would appear that my last 2 comments did not meat the moderators standards, so all I will say here is that there are many people like Melanie who put convenience ,competitive pricing & choice high on their agenda but may not voice their opinions as fervently as the ” Antis “
I support a Tesco in Thame. As a busy working mum I welcome more convenience and competitive pricing!
It would appear that Tesco needs to get its Financial forecasting straight before it considers building yet another White Elephant!
We don’t need you Tesco,we are OK without you.
Dear Tesco,
We would like to thank you for the flyer posted through Thame doors today highlighting your intention to destroy a town that has been around since the 12th century. As residents, we already feel that Thame offers a great range of food, groceries and household goods many of which are supplied by local independent retailers that have thrived even during one of the worst recessions in history. Your plans will do nothing to enhance the shopping experience for residents or visitors to Thame and will put many of the retailers out of business.
Clearly, new jobs are always welcome and 200 is not to be sniffed at. Except there is evidence to suggest that for every superstore that is opened results in a net loss in employment – so we are probably better off saying thanks but no thanks.
Similarly, We are not sure how the 295 free parking spaces are considered a benefit. All it will do is to encourage both local and out of town shoppers to drive to the store creating excess traffic, noise and pollution. So these exciting plans for Thame you talk about are actually of no benefit to the local population and will only enhance your corporate pockets.
As for the modern employment space, I am sure that DAF and the other residents of the site would be glad of some new and environmentally sustainable offices ensuring that jobs do actually remain in Thame. To achieve this laudable goal certainly doesn’t require the development of a store that is not in keeping with the local character of our community.
Finally, You are probably correct in saying that your proposal will encourage more people to shop locally but in reality this will just be at your store with no economic benefit being made to the Thame high street so please stop misleading this great community we are all so proud to belong.
Extract from ‘Supermarket’s bid to build in Thame’, 10 Nov 14, 3.15 (thamedotnet): Jack Pearson, Tesco’s Corporate Affairs Manager, said: “We have been keen to open a supermarket in Thame for many years and think that a store would be popular.”
Tesco’s application to have a presence in Thame has already been rejected three times – in 1994, 1999, and 2004/5. What is it about ‘We don’t want you in Thame’ that Tesco doesn’t understand?
Tesco, isn’t that the supermarket that piled ’em high and sold ’em cheap? Arn’t they now the supermarket that piles ’em high in jail?, And thats just the senior excecutives!
They are also the chain that took the beef out of beefburgers, the ethics out of accounting and the profit for farmers out of milk – and now they want to take the heart out of Thame centre.
The Tesco promise is a couple of hundred jobs, but how many will be lost from other retailers in the town centre – what will be the NET gain?
So we want Tesco in Thame because…………..?
I understand that most large Supermarkets are under pressure as a result of excessive sales space BUT the Country, and Thame, have a shortage of affordable homes or land to buIld those homes?
We want Tesco because……..?
Please do not let a major Supermarket rip the heart from a delightful and successful town centre.
Thame is a very vibrant town and needs to remain like that for the sake of its future. Putting an out of town shop will only draw people away from the centre and putting local business under financial pressure.
Tescos portfolio of offering
Groceries……………Already availabli the the town centre
Optician……………….Already available in the town centre
Butcher………………..Already available in the town centre
Florist…………………..Already available in the town centre
Clothes………………..Already available in the town centre
Newsagent…………..Already available in the town centre
Shoe repairs……….. Already available in the town centre
Wines and Spirit….. Already available in the town centre
Chemist……………… Already available in the town centre
Cofee shop………… Already availablein the town centre
Etc.
Why on earth do we want to take people away from the town and put all these businesses under threat and have a ghost town like has already happened to so many other places. this is not scare-mongering it is fact, We need to fight for the future of our town.
Does anybody ever shop at an edge of town superstore and then pop in to the local town centre for a coffee or to visit the butchers? Any big supermarket on the edge of Thame will attract customers to the edge of Thame and not to the centre of Thame. Town centre shops are the only option that really brings trade in to the town centre.
Reading the comments in the local this week, Cllr Welply ” cheap food of dubious quality ” & Tim Chapman quoting Tesco’s CEO about slowing down or cancelling out of town developments, could it be that they ( Tesco) will gain consent & then sublet to Aldi or Lidl ? Conspiracy theory ?
At last someone with a pragmatic view ! Well said GB ! We should be encouraging people to come to Thame & a shopping ” attraction” like Tescos will do just that. The specialist outlets should welcome the fact that people from surrounding small towns and villages have a reason the come to Thame and whilst at Tesco come to the smaller town centre shops as well.
If we allow this development to take place, contrary to the town plan, then it is just a matter of time before developers start targeting other parts of Thame. We should be vocal in our opposition.
GB is totally wrong, having an out of town supermarket will make the town centre less vibrant. The town plan clearly wants retail to stay within the centre, and we should do all we can to make support the plan and stop Tesco.
I worked in Thame for years and I can say that some people are loyal to their local stores but a lot will seek out the cheaper option as I’ve seen loyal customers who shop in the local stores for years move onto the bigger supermarkets because in the times we’re living in they want more for their money. I said this a long time ago but Thame is slowly turning into Aylesbury, Thame can be a buzzing vibrant place to live without the need of big names and chains, I think the main buzz for the town at the moment is the fact that theres plenty of local small shops, as soon as the bigger chains start coming in the small local shops will perish as they cannot compete and Thame will no longer be unique
GB is mistaken. A Tesco store on the fringe of the town will, as similar developments up and down our country have done, destroy the independent Butchers, Bakers, Outfitters etc. no matter how good they are. That is pragmatism. At the same time, the life of the town centre largely destroyed and with it much of the health of our town,
It is no accident that central government have at long last come to see just how destructive such developments are, they are based upon 1960-80 concepts, devoid of humanity and ethics.
GB does really mean be pragmatic, he/she actually means that Thame has nothing worth protecting. I am sorry I disagree.
I think people should take a more pragmatic approach to the delivery and expansion of Thame as a town. Tesco will deliver an alternative food and fuel “option” at competitive prices. Thame does not have a big supermarket. Waitrose will never be affected as it draws consumers who stays loyal to the brand. Sainsburys and CoOp have prime positions in the town and will always bring in customers. The independents such as, Newitts butchers will never struggle, again with loyal customers.
Tescos will draw people from the surrounding village area to either live or shop in Thame as opposed to travelling to Aylesbury. This will reduce car usage and in my view be of benefit to the local economy. Thame has the infrastructure to cope with an edge of town store without affecting the traffic on the High Street and its residents.
Tesco could draw certain shops from the high street, namely, Sainsburys and CoOp which, are the biggest eye sores of them all! If you look at all of the vacant premises in Thame, they do not stay empty very long at all. It is a highly desirable location for small retailers (none of which are ever food companies). I think Thame needs to stop filling vacant space with hairdressers and look at the town models of Marlow and Henley. If you walk around Marlow or Henley there is a buzz which, Thame distinctively lacks. Both examples are heaving with restaurants, bars, high street shops… “options”. Have you ever seen Prezzo empty?
Investment brings money to an area which, increases house values, creates a desirable location for more stable retailers and will make Thame a more vibrant town to live in.
There has and will always be the “anti growth” movement. People do not like change. I urge residents to look at the bigger picture. Think of the future of the town and the opportunities to make it better as opposed to reasons to stop growth and let Thame fall into the dark ages. We all want Thame to be a more desirable and affluent town to live in.
The reaction to Waitrose was not as strong as may have been expected, partly because it was being based adjacent to the town centre so would not draw people away from it.
Speaking purely for myself, I was more relaxed because from my viewpoint Waitrose/John Lewis are far more ethical than Tesco’s are and were.
Just a question, what was the reaction many years ago when Waitrose wanted to build on the site it currently occupies?
Very valid points raised here. All Residents Associations should come together though and jointly oppose this plan to protect the town centre.