Sheringham's Tricks

To show to people just how Councillors are manipulated, not just in Shepton Mallet, but other areas, click on the link below and it will give you some idea of just how far the pro-Tesco lobby will go in order to get their way.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/tesco-dirty-tricks-and-the-battle-over-a-new-store-in-rural-norfolk-2023130.html

Happy reading.

David Evans

Tesco Application for a cafe

Below is the text of a letter I sent to the Shepton Journal on 06.07.10. Of the 1200 words, they chose to edit nearly 600 words. The full text is below. They obviously were not brave enough to print the whloe article. Typical local rag.

Let me know what you think.

Dave Evans

Shepton Mallet.

__________________________________________________

Now is the time for bluntness. Tesco are now applying to install a Café on the Townsend Retail Park and unless the people of the Town act NOW, it will be too late to save our High St.

Once again we have a situation where a planning decision is not worth the paper it is written on. Once again, it is Tesco, who want to change the conditions of a planning decision to work in its favour. Wouldn’t it be nice just for a change if they were told no.

Councillor Marvin is going around banging the drum and putting forward the idea that Tesco and the High St can survive alongside one another. If he really believes that, I hope he will apologise to every High St business that closes when this voracious predator finally gets its way and occupies the whole of the Retail Park. If he put as much work in attracting other businesses to the Town, i.e., those with proper jobs that don’t involve sitting down and sipping an expensive cup of froth, then he would have my full support.

The people of the Town now have to make a decision. We cannot leave it in the hands of our grubby Councillors, both Town and District who have their own agendas with Tesco and who will without any regret, force yet another unwanted and unnecessary development on this Town.

We have cafes coming out of our ears. We have Peppers, Mad Hatters, Chats, Denelas, Lisboa, The Shrubbery, Neptune’s and not forgetting the illegally built Costa Coffee.

So now that Costa Coffee has cleared the path for the Tesco Cafe in putting the Haskins Coffee Shop, Doras, Pickwicks and Viv’s Deli out of business, how they must fear for their own future, The Regional Director of Tesco must be licking his lips at the thought of wiping out his main competitor and replacing it with a brand spanking new Tesco Express. Oh the irony of it all.

Tesco has to justify the need for a new Café. We have already lost, Pickwicks, Doras, The Tea Shop at Haskins and Viv’s Delicatessen. Chats is up for sale. Tesco will have to show to the District Councillors the need for the Café.

This is called the sequential test. How the hell are Tesco going to explain the need for another Café when we have others closing down? Goodness knows how they will convince the planning board, but somehow, you get the feeling they will. Probably not by weight of argument though. Not to put it too crudely, more by weight of envelope.

No doubt they will put forward a water tight case. I could though, if asked, save them a lot of time, a lot of effort and a lot of money. Why not just mark your envelope TESCO and send it to the planning department and they can just rubber stamp it. No meetings, no free helicopter rides for our Councillors to enjoy, just send it in. Simple really. I could even save them the price of a stamp. Just ask one of our Councillors to drop it off for them.

History tells us what is going to happen. First, New Look are moved sideways and ultimately out. Then when their leases expire, it will be the turn of Pampered Pets, Laura Ashley, Argos and Boots. Hey presto, we have a MASSIVE superstore and the High St will be dead. Our Councillors will go around shaking their heads saying we did not expect that to happen or as is usual, it was not my fault. Like they fail to see so much else that is happening. I only hope the double club card points and BOGOFS are worth it.

Why does it take ordinary people of the Town to tell our Councillors what should be blatantly obvious, even to the most blind. Ask yourself this. If Tesco really are good for our Town and it really does have its interests at heart, why is it we are paying £1.20 per litre for petrol and yet at similar Tesco garages within 20 miles of Shepton, Tesco sell it for £1.12 per litre.

This is what Tesco really think of our Town and its people. They take the proverbial, and we continue to allow it to happen. I would never say to people, don’t shop in Tesco. I do when I have to. But try shopping there for the things you cannot get elsewhere.

You would be really surprised at what you can get in Aldi or Lidl and the quality is just the same, if not better for some items. Try Thorners in Pylle or Farrington Gurney for meat, as we have no local butcher anymore. Better quality by far than what you get in Tesco. One clincher is that water does not ooze out of the chicken when you cut it and the prices are comparable. Remember, it was not so long ago when Tesco were the discount store and it was embarrassing as a kid to be seen with a Tesco shopping bag. Times not really changed that much, have they.

In last week’s paper, we had the image of Councillor Marvin promoting the shops of the High St while at the same time knifing the traders in the back. Is he not able to recognise that Tesco are playing him like a puppet?

Tesco have had over 3 years to help promote the High St and only now have started to put up signage. Could it be because they want their Café to get through planning, so they force themselves to make this little effort? Just a shame they could not have tried harder, earlier? Maybe I am just too cynical or maybe it’s because when something looks dodgy, it generally is.

What is the betting that Tesco will now increase the parking restrictions so that we can all enjoy the shops in the High St once again. Of course, they probably won’t tell us what the real reason is. Could it be to give us all more time to spend our money in their new Café. Surely they would not take us for granted, would they?

I implore the Town’s people to continue to use any of the other Cafes in our Town and keep our High St going. It needs all the support it can get. It will not get it from the majority of our Town Councillors. It will certainly not get it from the District Councillors. I hope it will get it from the Towns people.

If you are of a like mind and do not like the idea of living in Tesco Mallet, then now is the time to do something about it. Tesco have an almost free reign to do as they please, to the extent that it has most of our Councillors dancing to its tune, nodding when they say nod. If like me, you really object to this, then write to the officer in charge at Mendip District Council and register your objection.

The officer is

Mr Les Kimberley

Planning Department

Mendip District Council

Cannards Grave Road

Shepton Mallet

BA4 5BT.

It is only you that can stop it. Our Councillors won’t.