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Tesco’s ‘goodwill gesture’ to council
Alex Scapens28/12/2005
EXCLUSIVE
TESCO will use a false wall to cordon off 6,000 sq ft of its Portwood store's oversized sales area as a "goodwill gesture", the Stockport Express can reveal.
The backdown, expected in January after the busy Christmas period, comes in the face of fierce criticism over the retail giant building its Tiviot Way outlet 18 per cent larger than was agreed by council planners - including an extra seven per cent of sales space that has raked in around £4 million in revenue.
Sean Edgeley, from Tesco, said Stockport Council has been informed of its intention to shut off the space, which could then be left completely empty, and described this as a "highly unusual" step.
But while leading council planner Kevin Hogg admitted this could end the year-long saga, he remains sceptical.
He said: "If this happens it could potentially draw a line under the whole issue. But with Tesco you are never quite sure what it says is what it will do."
And Steve Parfett, managing director of Parfett and Sons, who has led the campaign against the store's breach of planning permission, maintains the 120,000 sq ft outlet should be knocked down.
He said: "At least it shows Tesco is beginning to realise the depth of feeling against this and it has been disrespectful to Stockport Council and residents.
"But the store should be knocked down and rebuilt as permission dictated. Any other business that built something 18,000 sq ft too big and then offered to cordon off 6,000 sq ft would be laughed out of town.
"Tesco relies on its vast wealth, its influence at the highest levels of national government and sheer intimidation of local councils. Surely the time has come to stand up to these bullies."
The store opened in November 2004 with planning permission for 101,500 sq ft of floor space.
Stockport Council received a retrospective planning application for the remainder - which includes storage area - earlier this month.
Planners will look at the extra floor space's impact on local businesses and traffic before deciding whether to grant permission for it in March.
A refusal would force Tesco to cordon the area off.
Mr Edgeley said: "We have written to the council indicating after Christmas we will reduce the net floor space to what is consented.
"A false wall could be used and the 6,000 sq ft would remain empty or possibly be used for storage but not for sales.
"It is highly unusual and a goodwill gesture that proves we are not bullies but a perfectly reasonable organisation trying to work with the council to resolve the issue."
Most recent 2 of 6 user comments
From the number of shoppers that use the store it seems that Stockport residents want the store.
Before Tesco there was not a single decent supermarket in town.
The derelict bombsite that was there previously was complete waste of land and a poor welcome to Stockport west to anyone leaving the M60.
It seems to me to be a clash of egos between the planning officials employed by the council and those architects employed by Tesco.
Lets remember the council have wasted hundreds of thousands of pounds let alone man hours pursuing the doomed Ikea development. Why were the council so certain that they could overturn the decision of the Deputy Prime Minister?
Who would benefit from Ikea? I'm no expert but I'm sure shoppers return to supermarkets than furniture stores. In that case the M60 would be further clogged with more traffic from shoppers all over Gtr Manchester, North Staffordshire, Cheshire and the East Midlands.
To refer to Tesco as bullies is to completely misunderstand what is happening here.
If Tesco would like to build another store in the borough I'm sure they would find their application refused or life made "difficult." Therefore, who is the bully?
what about a poll of residents affected by Tesco? I'm one. I'd like to have my say in what the council continues to waste its money on.
15/01/2006 at 10:28
Got an opinion you want to share?| Card | BT Fee |
| Virgin Credit Card | 2.98% |
| Capital One BT Platinum Card | 3.0% |
| Egg Card | 3.0% |
| Tesco Bonus Credit Card | 2.9% |
| Capital One BT Exclusive | 3.0% |
| Company | Typical APR |
| Platinum Exclusive Loan | 7.5% |
| Moneyback Bank | 7.8% |
| Barclays | 7.9% |
| Sainsbury's Personal Loan | 8.5% |
| Halifax (Semi-exclusive) | 8.6% |
| Bank of Scotland (Semi-exclusive) | 8.6% |
| Alliance & Leicester | 8.7% |
| Provider | AER* |
|
ICICI BANK HiSAVE Savings Account |
6.16% |
|
SAINSBURYS FINANCE Internet Saver |
5.50% |
|
EGG BANKING PLC Egg Savings Account (Internet) |
6.55% |
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ING DIRECT Savings Account |
6.50% |
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TESCO PERSONAL FINANCE Internet Saver |
6.50% |
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CITIBANK Flexible Saver Issue 4 |
6.43% |
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ABBEY Instant Access Saver (Special Issue 2) |
6.30% |
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ALLIANCE & LEICESTER Online Tracker |
6.30% |
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ALLIANCE & LEICESTER eSaver - Issue 2 |
6.60% |
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HALIFAX Web Saver Extra |
6.00% |
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ABBEY eSaver Direct |
6.50% |
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BRITANNIA BS DirectSaver Reserve Account |
6.25% |
As an aside, I've just got used to how the store was laid out and now I have to learn it all again. It seems crazy since all the other Tesco stores that I've visited while living in different areas of the country have been allowed to GROW, not SHRINK!
Surely Stockport Council would do better if they just accepted that the store was larger than initially planned, fine Tesco for the contravention of planning permission and then accept the greater levels of business rates that the larger store would presumably generate?
24/01/2006 at 23:17