What do you think of the Cottam Tesco plans?

26th, July 2009 by

Tesco has published the development proposals on its websiteSupermarket chain Tesco is planning a new store in Cottam, Preston and local community website Ashton-on-Ribble.com is asking what you think of the development.

The store is due to be built on the old Cottam Hall Brickworks and the Tesco website, set up to provide information on the development, states:

A new proposal now plans to regenerate this unused land by creating a nature reserve, a marina, new housing, shopping facilities, a care home and offices.

However, the website also states that only the Tesco foodstore is confirmed and the rest of the development is not and that the images and layouts used are “for indicative purposes only”.

A local blog set up in opposition to the plans outlines the case against the development and argues that the plans “will be negative on local business and community interests”.

It also states:

* it is a poor proposal, with very little real community engagement underpinning it

* was based on a now rather old and out of date local engagement survey

* does not set out the true environmental impact costs

What do you think of the proposals? Are you a Cottam resident and worried about this development or do you support it?

You can have your say by commenting below, commenting on Ashton-on-Ribble or directly to Tesco using their website.

  • http://rpdouglas.blogspot.com Richard

    Interesting… Whilst Tesco will surely create new jobs in the area, from construction jobs, retail management, shopfloor and warehouse staff there are also downsides to this.

    Preston, in my experience, has a varied and local retail offer and a monster the size of Tesco will inevitably affect this by putting people out of business through under cutting them. In fact this may even put more people out of work than they will actually employ.

    This could be seen as good for the consumer – and it is ultimately they who will decide whether Tesco is a success in this site or not – in the undeniable fact that prices will be cheaper or bad for the town’s personality – are there not already enough empty retail properties in Preston?

    Does Preston want to become another clone town like Chelmsford (the most boring place I have ever lived!) or does it want to remain diverse but at a financial cost to the consumer.

    I heard recently (although I cannot verify this) that for every ten pounds spent in a shop in Britain one pound of that goes into Tesco’s pocket.

    I personally dislike some of the alledged bully tactics employed in the past by Tesco – look at the alleged examples of Tesco’s Thai division – I think it’s called Lotus – where journalists are being gagged and even prosecuted by the grocer for speaking up for small businesses being pushed out of the market place, or perhaps look closer to home, the Store on the M60 in Stockport, where they allegedly went ahead with a building that was far larger than planning permission had been granted for – if that were me building an extension on my house I’d have had to pull it down and start again however I don’t have Tesco’s money to spend on legal representation. The Stockport store still stands at its original size.

    Chances are that if tesco want a site there they will get it – I’d like to see something on the smaller side as they already have the tesco home store (?) at the Capitol centre. Why not go back to just grocery at this site? Less is more after all.

  • Simon

    I don’t really know what to think of the new Tesco, but I know I’m not very impressed by the proposals. They’re going to transform a huge area of land in Ashton and the only thing they can come up with is a marina. It’s a bit ‘so what’.

    I read the blog quoted in the article and don’t agree with some of it – in Ashton we only have Morrisons, which is a little gold mine. Asda is not convenient for residents of Ashton – it’s almost as easy to go to the Tesco in Blackpool.

    What I least like is the further development that the Tesco will bring. More countryside being churned up by housing developments. More roads etc etc.

    On the other hand, have you been to Ingol’s council estate lately? It sorely needs something to boost the area and perhaps Tesco will help, if it’s not allowed to turn its back to this area.

    I can see that we need jobs, but do we need more McJobs? Thousands of students are being churned out by the university, immediately to disappear to places where there are better job prospects for graduates.

    Tesco already have a small shop between Savick and Larches in Ashton, dragging trade out of all the local shops. A proposal to build a Tesco in front of Tulketh Mill was recently rejected. They are obviously fairly determined to get in somewhere around Ashton.

    Congrats on the new-look website!

  • Gradders

    For lodasa other comments see

    http://ashtononribble.com/joomla/

  • rogerb153

    What everyone seems to have missed is the site across the road is allocated for retail in the PRESTON CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED LOCAL PLAN. That cannot be changed except by the Government Planning Inspector. Cottam Retail Site is also subject to The New Towns Act 1981 Section 7 (1) and this can only be varied by the Secretary of State. By all means develop COTTAM retail but not on the old brickwork site (which is in INGOL), which also has a designation of Bilogical Heritage Site (BHS) … it isn’t just wasteland… (nor does it qualify as a ‘brownfield site’) and just what are the vandals gong to vandalise on this old cleared site? Put Tescos across the road and develop this site for the Community… library, youth centre, indoor sports, housing, community centre, no problem. (Just where are all the jobs coming from that are always quoted… the figure changes in every quote, Tesco says 300 jobs (part-time) and developer says 700, 800+ jobs… just how many?) AND who apart from Councillor Hudson, leader of the Council, will use the marina? What is going to happen and what are Government/Council plans for the retails site on Cottam if the brickworks Tesco goes ahead? Where is the ‘joined-up thinking’ or is it one site at a time to the benefit of the developer?

  • dale hesketh

    RIDICULOUS!!!! The area needs this!!
    I understand completely the views of the ‘NIMBYs’ (mostly one side of Tom Benson Way) -with their 9-5 husbands and their day time telly mums all of which, would probably be ‘cockahoop’ if it was a Waitrose opening a superstore….

    Alls i say to those that are against it; is think about the following:

    1. Have they seen the poverty that is down the likes of Barry avenue and surrounding areas?
    (Meaning that the types of jobs offered at such a store, will be ideal for that particular demographic and all the benefits that will bring).

    2. I frequently (but not regularly) used the green area where the store is proposed. Whilst it is enjoyable; -Of probably the dozen times ive been there with my children. We have seen no other individuals at all, apart from the odd stray dog and signs (and there are many) that the area is used for alcohol and drugs abuse. Am only guessing here; that it is not the endangered newt or toad that is responsible for the broken bottles and small fires that can easily be seen.

    3. With regards, to the loss of existing jobs within the locality. Let me say this. Tesco pays better than coop, booths, spar, and the numerous AND I MEAN numerous Bookies within the locality. Whilst i understand that some of the other small businesses will be affected, i ask you this: Do the people that own these small businesses, live and reinvest in the local area like their staff do? I am pretty sure they do not and are only concerned for the bottom line.

    4. Finally, and i’m loosely linking back into my 1st point. Will a nearby Tesco, -and eventually built set of apartments and marina; have a positive or negative affect on house prices within the area?
    As a preston ‘lifer’, i am fully aware that Prestonians view Ingol and to a lesser but still prominent held view, Cottam, -are a poorer part of Preston as opposed to the traditional area of Fulwood and the comaparitivly aged area to Cottam of Longsands. If you disagree with this point, i simply refer to you to the rightmove website. Their listings will confirm this.

    THIS HAS TOOK FAR TO LONG!!! PRESTON COUNCIL HAVE GOT WHAT THEY WANTED.
    GET IT BUILT!!!!