BBC Look North(Leeds) either today(060207)or tomorrow, The Guardian (prob 070207) and we were on BBC Radio York breakfast show and drivetime yesterday (050207)... all highlighting our problems. Thankyou all for all your support and emails...planning is expected to be put forward sometime in March...so may go quiet on the news from us front for a while. if anyone is interested in helping put up posters and the like, please contact me at dsb@nyloc.org. Meeting with Phil Willis MP next week. latest press release is as follows....
cheers again
dave and Richie
Press release...
TESCO PLANS WILL DELIVER DOUBLE WHAMMY TRAFFIC CHAOS SAY CAMPAIGNERS
Campaigners fighting plans for a massive Tesco at Harrogate’s busiest road junction, have called on the superstore giant to provide figures on the likely impact of its scheme on the town’s traffic.
Their calls follow a three day exhibition at New Park Nursery School at which company officials and traffic consultants were unable to tell people just how many cars and lorries the scheme would bring to the already gridlocked are if the plans go ahead.
Dave Burns and Richie Molloy of the ‘No to Tesco in Harrogate group’ say “it is astonishing to think that they couldn’t answer the single most important question that everyone was asking.”
“We understand that the Traffic Impact Assessment for the scheme is not yet complete – so ‘public consultation’ in the absence of this vital information was little more than a token gesture”
They added “ This is an 88, 000 sq ft store – bigger than ASDA – and with plans to open up to 24 hours, it will pull traffic from all parts of the Harrogate District to the junction of the two busiest roads that we have… with the total number of extra vehicles topping a massive 2 million in a given year
People on the North side of the town might like the idea of a Tesco – but we feel sure that if Tesco gains approval for its development at this totally unsuitable site, those who save a few pennies in the aisle will make everybody losers on the roads.”
Mr Burns also pointed out “ The proposed new roundabout on Skipton Road will be less than 100 metres from the existing Little Wonder roundabout and that means a double whammy for people travelling into Harrogate on either Ripon or Skipton Roads. There is even rumour they are trying to buy out the Transco land right next to the Little Wonder roundabout so they can put in an even bigger roundabout at this site.”
“Traffic heading along Skipton Road will have to give way to traffic turning out of tesco on the new roundabout and, when those Tesco vehicles quickly reach the second roundabout, the traffic heading in from Ripon will again have to give way to them. It will be an absolute nightmare for anyone driving in this area and we all know that because of Harrogate’s road system the impact of any major road junction has a knock on effect across the town”
The concerns about traffic include the siteing of a new goods entrance right outside New Park Nursery school and also raises fears for the safety of school children – with Saltergate, Coppice, New Park, st Joseph’s, Bilton Grange and Grove Road primary schools either on a route into the proposed site or close to it.”
Mr’s Burns and Molloy also said “ While it would be nice to have a Tesco somewhere in the Harrogate area, this is just such a wrong place for it and too big a price to pay simply to have another superstore in a town that already has an ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Waitrose and the Co-oP.”
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from the Guardian...
http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,2007491,00.html
http://www.yorkshiretoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1084&ArticleID=2047731
The Traffic problem is probably the biggest problem, with TESCO. There will be no doubt that there will be more congestion, more noise and more pollution. The noise may cause local people to get head aches and they will have to try and put up with the noise possibly for 24 hours a day. The pollution will affect people’s health, especially those who use the pavements next to the roads and those who live close by.
The roads will be more dangerous for everyone to try and cross, especially children.
But also from a wider perspective, Tesco occupy 1/3 of the of the U.K grocery market, they pay farmers very low prices for their produce,35% of farmers surveyed in October 2006 by Friends of the Earth said they received less or that same amount of money as their cost of Production and the vast majority of the rest of the Framers surveyed were being paid only just over their production costs.39% of the farmers said their dealings with supermarkets were having negative effect on their businesses.
Tesco failed to reach its target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 4.2 per cent last year. Its stores consume nearly twice as much energy as the national average for the supermarket sector.
There is no doubt that TESCO cause smaller local shops to go out of business in 2004, 2000 local shops when out of business.(Association of Convenience Stores)
Remember it would be selfish to think that TESCO should be built because it offers cheap food, the unethical practices of TESCO and the traffic problems far out way the benefits of cheap food.
Remember just because TESCO says it will do something that doesn't mean it will do it, it said it would reduce its CO2 emissions by a certain percentage by 2006 and it didn't do it. The only reason it says it will recycle more is so it can get more customers not because Tesco care about the environment, if they really cared about the environment they would have met their CO2 reduction target and they would not use as many planes and Trucks to transport food.
"We've made some important changes to the proposals to provide a store more in keeping with the area, as well as incorporating a host of sustainability measures.
"The north side of Harrogate is not well served by supermarkets and many residents have to travel across the town to do their weekly shop. This creates cross-town traffic which we can reduce with a store in New Park.
"As well as providing supermarket shopping close to home, the store will create over 360 jobs for local people, with excellent training and career development opportunities. We're also clearing up an eyesore, rejuvenating the Oak Beck and bringing a public footpath back into use.
"Tesco is proud of its ongoing commitment to public consultation and grateful to all residents who have taken the time to share their views.
"Following a thorough review of all feedback received from residents, and further discussions with Harrogate Borough Council, Tesco has made important changes to the proposals.
"The new proposals are for an environmental format store, which makes use of leading-edge technologies to reduce energy consumption, waste and artificial lighting. Another change is the reduction of the retail floor space by 25 per cent to better meet the current needs of this part of town.
"Responses to date have been positive; the majority of feedback forms are in favour of the store and our revised proposals. Residents are looking forward to the site being redeveloped and are happy that their views have been listened to. "All responses we receive will be collated and reviewed in detail."
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