Bank chiefs ‘in dark’ over Tesco expansion
Saturday 4th June 2011, 7:00PM BST.
Bosses at bank branches in Shrewsbury under threat due to plans by Tesco to extend its Extra store in the town today said they had not been told about the scheme.
The supermarket giant announced yesterday that it is proposing to extend the size of its flagship eco-store in Battlefield Road by a third in a bid to cope with customer demand and safeguard 420 jobs.
Town centre traders have already expressed concern at the plans while staff from the banks and office buildings along Harlescott Lane, which could be displaced under the move, said they had not been told.
It comes several years after a campaign was launched by the late Councillor Eileen Sandford to protect the Lloyds TSB, HSBC, Barclays and NatWest banks and Henry Lees Solicitor after plans were first mooted to build on the land.
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After yesterday’s headlines they are not in the dark now. I knew about this proposed scheme two years ago and I’m Mr Magoo…. :-)
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There’s a surprise,Tesco not telling anyone what their plans are?
A law unto themselves.
The council have been completely inept,allowing Tesco to expand their initial floor space of non-grocery goods beyond the original planning application.
What kind of hold have that got over local councils I wonder?
Come on local councillors,the local electorate demand some answers,don’t be shy I’m sure there is some logical explanation why Tesco are allowed to get away with everything.
It seems that Tesco have more say than the local electorate when it comes to planning applications.
Silly me I thought the electorate were the democratic voice rather than Tesco?
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I’d rather use my vote on more important stuff personally.
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The Harlescott Tesco building has a very high ceiling and it looks as if it was always intended to house two floors, as seen at Wrexham and Wellington. There should be no need to extend over the old buildings on Harlescott Lane. I am amused by the comments above about Tesco having a hold over the planners. if you look at most of the developments going on now in Shrewsbury and surrounding villages it is very evident that if you are a developer or a big business the planners will disregard all local opposition and give the green light without question. If you are a private householder wanting to build on your own property it will be a different matter.
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I hope this doesn’t mean the closure of any of the banks which are far more accessbible than the town centre branches.
For anyone objecting to Tesco’s plans the answer is simple. Don’t shop there.
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Absolutely Bellevue and very well said. It wouldn’t take a large number of people to permanently shift their grocery shopping to other stores for a long period of time to have an effect. Once Tesco realise that people are fed up with their continuing efforts to dominate everyones lives rather than accept a fair marketplace containing lots of choice from both other supermarkets and independent shops the better. We should all boycott them and get all our friends and family to do the same. The produce in Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Morrisons is much better anyway ;-)
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Yes, other supermarkets, independents and the market are much better. On the rare occasions I shop at Tesco my dogs eat well!
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I agree. I am guilty of shopping in Tescos due to the convenience, however I would definitely boycott it if we were to lose the banks as a result of their expansion. The traffic situation there is already horrendous at weekends so would only get worse. Plus if the banks were to close jobs would be lost there too.
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For anyone objecting to Tesco’s plans the answer is simple. Don’t shop there.
I couldn’t agree more. I haven’t bought anything in any Tesco anywhere for more than 10 years.
As this corporate monster manages to make £6,000 per minute, it can get along without my custom.
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