MegaTesco battle escalates

Call in the Application!

The plan to build Britain's biggest Supermarket (less than 2 miles from the centre of Chorlton, and other Manchester shopping areas) has yet to be debated by Trafford's planning committee. Lancashire cricket club who want Tesco money to improve Old Trafford have mounted a huge propaganda exercise. As a result they are claiming messages of support from throughout the region, from people far enough away to be unaffected by the development. A further complication is an application for a large Sainsbury store at White City, also close to both the proposed MegaTesco and Chorlton's shopping centre.

Whilst the Trafford consultation period is over, the campaign is urging people to write to the Government Office North West urging that the application be 'called in' - for further details on the background and how to do this see NoMegaTesco

Below is a response from Margaret Westbrook, Stretford Green parliamentary candidate, to the Cricket Club's latest press release.

"People must be made aware that the NoMegaTesco campaign is NOT against the development of the cricket ground. What we are against is the basis upon which the application has been submitted – to build one of the biggest Tesco’s stores in the country. We believe financial support for the development could and should be found from elsewhere.

The statistics provided by LCC are meaningless – as most people have signed up to this because they want the possibility of the Ashes tests and international matches here. Many of the so called supporters probably do not understand that to allow this planning application would be to make a mockery of both the council’s stance and the government’s decision on a Tesco store half the size only 3 years ago. The vast majority of pledges of support from the LCC’s website are from people who do not live in this area. We have, however, handed in petitions, showing the opposition of over 700 local people to the Tesco element of the application.

Tesco has been and still is able to build a local store of the size of the Sainsury’s in Urmston. What’s more it has recently been made clear that Sainsbury’s intend to build a store of approximately half the size of the MegaTesco application only a few hundred yards away in White City Retail Park, which apparently cannot be refused. Our community will be completely dominated by large supermarkets with fewer local businesses, congestion, less green space and no guarantee of the further regeneration to the area which has been claimed."

Talk Chorlton - stopped talking?

Heard anything recently about the consultation on the shopping precinct, which was carried out by Talk Chorlton? We were promised results early in 2010, but there has been no inkling from their website as to when this will happen. I have made repeated phone calls to them, and have been informed that someone will phone me back. I await with anticipation.