'Tesco threat to corner shop'

Deborah Haile

January 16, 2008

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EXPANSION plans by Britain's biggest supermarket could turn parts of Greater Manchester into `Tesco towns', campaigners say.

The retail giant owns around 70 stores in the region - more than all its major competitors put together - but has announced plans for at least five more.

Earlier this month, councillors in Oldham gave the green light to controversial plans for a Tesco store in Greenfield, near Saddleworth.

Residents fear it will destroy the character of the area.

Judith Whateley, of campaign group Tescopoly, said: "A lot of the new stores are smaller Express supermarkets which are a direct threat to off licences and corner shops."

Last week, traders in Langworthy Road, Salford, said they feared they would be forced out of business after discovering that Tesco planned to open a One Stop shop on the road with an 11pm alcohol licence.

Tesco took over One Stop in 2003. It rebranded many of the stores as Tesco Express but has also kept nine stores under the One Stop name in Greater Manchester. Sue and John Yendall, who run K and S News on Langworthy Road, say if the new store is given the go-ahead they will be forced to shut. Meanwhile, traders in Monton, Eccles, are also protesting against plans for a Tesco Express on Monton Road.

And campaigners in the Cheshire village of Poynton are determined to fight off plans for a store.

More than 7,000 residents have already signed a petition against plans for the 17,000 sq ft store, complete with 110 car parking spaces, and the council has received hundreds of letters of objection.

Steve Marsden, from Poynton Against Tesco, admits his group faces an uphill struggle. He said: "We are just a bunch of amateurs putting in as much time as we can spare with extremely limited resources. I have no idea how it will go.

"The size of the development would mean there would be an impact on local traffic and local small businesses. The whole character of the area would change."

The campaigners are taking heart from a successful campaign by residents in Chorlton, which saw councillors reject plans for a Tesco Express store there. But the fight is not over - as Tesco has appealed against the decision.

Debbie Ellen, a member of the campaign group, said: "Unless local communities do stand up and oppose this kind of thing this is going to be a pattern that happens across the country."

Tesco said it welcomed the views of residents and campaigners and said they were an important part of the planning process.

A spokesman said: "The whole purpose of the planning application process is to listen to these concerns and so they can be addressed."

What do you think? Have your say.

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ace, manchester (16/01/2008 at 11:33)

What decent corner shops do we have anymore? Some sell out of date food and are dirty.They sell mainly fags and booze,very little choice of decent food or even a decent attitude to their customers,the day of the "Decent" corner shop went years ago.The same can be said about chip shops they are going the same way.

Bomber Harris, In Exile.West Germany (16/01/2008 at 12:06)

Right again Ace!They are a Bloody Disgrace
and Expensive!

Alec (16/01/2008 at 12:28)

I would hate to see local corner shops closing down! There are still great corner shops around but good ones are incresaingly hard to find as they are going out of business.

Sam Anderson (16/01/2008 at 13:53)

Here here, ace. Although you forgot to mention that corner shops are usually more expensive.

lebist, Blackley (16/01/2008 at 13:53)

ace I don't know which area of our great city you live but I find it hard to believe that it's as bad as you make out regarding "corner" shops.I still prefer to use my local shops,bakers,butchers,greengrocers,chippy,off licence/grocers and newsagents and can't recall ever being sold out of date goods or being treated discourteously by any of them.Mind you I do treat the people serving in these shops courteously so maybe this has something to do with it.

Timberman, MANCHESTER (16/01/2008 at 14:32)

Have to agree with you on this one 'ace'.
Looking back I used to deliver 'orders' for Droylsden Co-op, I wonder how many kids today could pull that old order bike on it's stand, let alone ride it.

lebist, Blackley (16/01/2008 at 14:42)

ace I have to agree with you about chippies though so I do my own with spuds from my local greengrocers,fried in beef dripping from the butchers,fresh peas from the greengrocers a nice fried sirloin from a piece of beef thats been hung by the butcher for about three weeks butties from the bakers covered in butter from the grocers followed by my anti colesterol tablet.Heaven

ace, manchester (16/01/2008 at 18:55)

Dont get me wrong i still use the small shops but i have to travel all over the place to find the few decent small traders.i live in openshaw but travel to didsbury for fresh bread then to droylesden for a butcher and reddish for a few bits and pieces? but my local shops sell garbage,this is why i travel at one time the local shops had most things fresh and a good variatey.

didarunna2spain, Tarragona Spain. (16/01/2008 at 21:02)

Ace mate;regarding chip shops.Get in your car an go to Armstongs in Prestwich. You could eat yuor dinner off the floor(only joking).Seriously,it is cleaner than your average operating theatre(maybe that's not saying much either).If in a hole,stop digging! Seriously again,it it extremely clean,hygenic and great food!

LookingForLogic, Stockport (17/01/2008 at 01:46)

I can't believe this is still news, thought we'd have been taken over completely by the 'corporates' by now. They may offer a wider range, & seem to be cheaper for the time being ( past tense), but the monopoly is being set. Give it a year or so & a similair article will appear on here, but by then there will be even less local shops to fight their corner & we'll all be paying above an extortionate amount for basics & staples. It's happening already, bread & milk prices have already jumped between a few pence & 40p in the major outlets in the last few weeks, alongside other 'basics'. We need to go back to local stores with local sourcing to ensure the corporations don't take over, they prey on those who can't get farther enough afield to find the right price. If you have the time visit little outlets of supermarket chains, then the bigger stores who service more people & keep/check your receipts, follow that by checking your most local store for prices on staples, do tghat for a few weeks & I think you'll realise the way this is all going.
My local mini-superstores charge a fortune on some things, yet within the same distance by car you can pay less, they can charge what they like by preying on the elderly & anyone else who's not in a position to travel for their basics. When my eldest son was small, before I had a car, I used to walk four miles & back to get staples, baby milk & nappies, because it was the difference between us having food that week or not. & I'm going back ten years. Things will only get worse if people don't take a stand.

ace, manchester (17/01/2008 at 10:57)

LookingForLogic, Stockport
We gave up using local corner shops years ago because one shop locally sold us a pack of frozen chips that when opened they were black with mould because they had been refrozen and then a few months later we had a loaf of bread from the same shop that was green with mould then when we checked the dates on all the bread in the shop most were over date by weeks.this has happened in a few shops that we have used over the years,But the biggest insult was when we returned the mouldy frozen chips we were accused of tampering with them?? and they argued about a refund ..that was enough for my wife and i we never shopped at a corner shop after those terrible experiences.Quite a lot of these dirty disgusting shops around. and they even have a terrible attitude to their customers.

lebist, Blackley (17/01/2008 at 11:04)

ace all that travelling round for your groceries?Its been a waste of time replacing all those light bulbs when your burning all that fuel then.Or do you go by bus?Have a trip to Moston Lane.Theres just about every shop you could imagine there and theyre mostly all clean and run by people who will give you the time of day and you'll be helping to save the planet.Dont park down the side streets though or you may find your motor on bricks with the wheels gone.Only joking MEN.

marc (17/01/2008 at 11:24)

lebist, i've taken a walk down moston lane and you're right about there being lots of great shops there. well i say 'walk', what i actually mean is 'running in fear of my life' ;)

levenshulme has some pretty decent shops. the butchers on stockport road is fantastic and still family-owned.

ace, manchester (17/01/2008 at 11:28)

marc
I know the one marc ive drove to that one as well,but how long it will be there is anybodys guess? the takeaways are taking over in levenshulme mate.Quite a few locals in levenshulme are trying to keep the village feel that makes levenshulme a great place."For now"

marc (17/01/2008 at 11:34)

you got that right ace. how many takeaways does one area need? what i don't understand is how they can possibly make a profit when theres so much competition. i hope the butchers stays there indefinitely - it would be a shame to see it go.

ace, manchester (17/01/2008 at 11:57)

Marc levenshulme lost a lot of great places over the years like the old cinema (should have been listed) and johnnies cafe which was the main meeting place for years (it was like a community centre) Unfortunately levenshulme looks better (the houses have been tidied up) but the place in general is on its way down. i always had a soft spot for levenshulme and know a lot about the history. its own townhall.the small holdings complete with pig farms,the old ten ten coffe bar,a bowling alley a great train station and a great post office which has now closed. aslas a area in decline...like so many others in manchester. i used to love the walk down clare road in the summer with those great trees.

The Bobelesque (17/01/2008 at 12:21)

I'm all for each area being provided with a Tesco and nothing else. I would then take Tesco into state ownership and work on a not for profit basis.

By this means you could absolutely control access to alcohol by idiot children (and adults). If this works well, you could then control access to fatty foods, cigarettes, newspapers etc. It would be my first step on the road to totalitarianism - hopefully with president ace in charge and me at his side :-)

sarahx, manchester (17/01/2008 at 13:54)

I agree with Ace for once, the corner shops near me (Ardwick) are disgusting 2 of them sell out of date food & the other one i daren't go to because of the gangs of teenagers hanging around outside shouting abuse at people & leaving there bikes lay in front of the door so you have to step over them to get in, so instead i shop at the new Tesco they built near the Appollo which is lovely & clean with no kids hanging around, local shopkeepers need to clean up there act or face losing more customers than they already are

The Bobelesque (17/01/2008 at 14:27)

sarahx

why not go to http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/teenagegangs/sign and have your vote counted on the subject of yobs.

LookingForLogic, Stockport (18/01/2008 at 03:17)

Thanks sarah, x back to you. Ace I'm sorry you're following the supermarket trend, i'm also forced to buy the generics of my locality. Even the sweets are pushing their sell by date in my 'local' shop. It would seem we've been reduced to Food & Booze if we want anything on our doorstep, the 'asian' cash & carries offer better produce, but I still think it better to fight for local produce than the rubbish offered by most retailers.

wayneold, manc (18/01/2008 at 10:19)

Everybody should boycott these supermarket monopolies. Fair enough, as Peter Kay would say "do your big shop" at these places but use your local 'corner' shop for your everyday groceries and needs!

It makes my blood boil now that at most Tesco and Asda stores you even have to scan the items in yourself!!!

The Bobelesque (18/01/2008 at 10:38)

"at most Tesco and Asda stores you even have to scan the items in yourself!!!"

That is simply untrue. You can choose to scan them yourself, if you wish. This was introduced by popular request. I don't like it so don't do it. I am happy to make a job for a graduate who can't get a job at McDonalds or the DWP.

I suppose you long for the days when a man in a white coat would skillfully cut your cheese, artistically wrap it in greaseproof and asked, politely "Anything further from the fridge Sir?". Those days have gone. Can you imagine what we would pay for food if it was all served to us.

jomov, Manchester (18/01/2008 at 10:41)

wayneold, manc - why is that? If you ever had dreams of working at a checkout then isn't this a good opportunity for you to do this?

Mr Angry, Bury (18/01/2008 at 11:45)

Hello Bob, I like your idea of taking Tesco into state control, not sure about you and ace being in control though

I'd like to think that would be my job. Sensible policies for a brighter britain, mass nationalization and get rid of all the yobs

ace, manchester (18/01/2008 at 12:53)

I think bobs idea that we run Tesco,but i think we should run the country.Then get back to real basics. Bring back national service.give the kids something to burn their energy off.And show them that there is more than two nine oclocks in the day.

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