Shrewsbury Tesco offers to save banks in expansion plans
Monday 4th July 2011, 4:06PM BST.
Supermarket Tesco, which wants to extend its controversial Extra store in Shrewsbury by a third, today said it had offered to save four banks under threat because of the scheme.
It also claimed most people in the area were in favour of its expansion plans despite an outcry from town centre traders who say it will ruin them.
The firm has announced plans to increase the size of its store in Harlescott just months after winning approval to increase its non-grocery space after flouting planning rules for three years.
Traders and civic groups claim Tesco has damaged town centre trade, but the firm said a public exhibition about the plans had revealed 64 per cent of visitors who completed a feedback form supported the proposals, while 25 per cent did not.
The event held at the store last month was attended by about 600 people.
There were two issues that dominated discussion at the exhibition – the prospective loss of the banking services along Harlescott Lane and the need for improved access to assist peak time traffic in and out of the store car park.
The four banks – Lloyds TSB, HSBC, Barclays and Nat West – are tenants of Tesco and the land occupied by their buildings is needed to accommodate the store extension.
Sophie Akokhia, for Tesco, said: “Clearly they are well-used and valued by the local community and nearby businesses.”
She said that as a result of the feedback, Tesco was drawing up proposals to offer the banks a chance to stay on the site possibly in purpose-built units outside the store.
“Ultimately, of course, it will be for the individual businesses to decide how they wish to proceed,” she added.
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Oh, that’s great – another bank bail-out whilst small businesses tumble and close.
History repeats itself.
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Good luck Tesco, you have my support. Don’t let the doom and gloom merchants affect your plans. If the small trader can’t keep up then it’s tough luck! only the fittest will survive.
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Good to hear that Tesco plan to save the banks by their store.
They are well used and would be sadly missed.
If they were to close, then sadly Tesco themselves would suffer loss of trade from the many who shop in the store currently, as they are in the vicinity, having visited the banks.
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I’m no conspiracy theorist, but I think that using statistics based on *visitors to Tesco* might just be a little skewed…
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Exactly GB! Lets just ask the opinion of people who already feed this bloated greedy monster! They wouldn’t consider asking the opinion of the general population because they know what the answer would be. This ‘Bank Saving’ story is just another bit of PR by Tesco to make out that they are wonderful people who listen to concerns of locals. They don’t, they do whatever they can to increase their hold over an area and close more businesses down and thus reduce choice for all. They are trying the same tactics in Whitchurch when the great majority of people are crying out for a Sainsburys and they are now using every trick in the book to stop them. People need to vote with their feet until they learn their lesson, sadly though Tesco often win through apathy.
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Can I ask where do you do your weekly shopping?
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Not Tesco………
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” I’m no conspiracy theorist but “. You might not be but i think Troy Tempest maybe.
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A survey carried out inside Tesco about Tesco is not a survey, it’s an ambush. So, they’ve twigged that getting rid of the banks would be a bad idea. That still doesn’t make their expansion a good idea. They are very good at PR and schmoozing, but I will still never set foot in one of their stores.
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If Tesco’s plans include a guaranteed retaining of banking services at the north end of town, good luck to them. I hope they succeed.
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