Crowds Flock to Marlborough Town Hall for Tesco Meeting

There were more people than seats in Marlborough Town Hall last night for the Town Council meeting about the proposed Tesco store in Marlborough.

Tesco representatives attended the meeting to present their case for bringing a store to Marlborough Business Park despite the fact that Marlborough’s planning restrictions do not permit retail establishments outside the town centre.

Mayor Nick Fogg explained that council planning committee meetings were usually restricted to committee members. Last night, as an exception, the public were in attendance including a large group from Lisa Farrell’s pro Tesco group, Marlborough Matters.

Tesco Regional Corporate Affairs Manager Melanie Chiswell confirmed that the company has a conditional deal for a store at Marlborough Business Park and that if they secure planning permission they will move ahead.

Ms Chiswell said the store was to be a convenience store- food only- around the size of Tesco in Hungerford. She said Tesco knew from Clubcard data that people from Marlborough were shopping out of town.

“We are trying to stem the flow of people leaving Marlborough to shop. If people are shopping in the town in which they live, they are more likely to spend time in that town,” she said, adding the store would “...complement, not compete with" existing local businesses.

When asked why a store in town was ruled out she explained that town centre units were of a certain size and that a larger store was needed to convince people to shop in Marlborough rather than elsewhere.

Answering further questions Ms Chiswell said that Tesco had a policy of purchasing from local producers and that they sell £50 million of local produce per week. She said she “wouldn’t imagine” the store would expand as there was no space to do so, and that prices in the Marlborough store would be based on the national Tesco pricing system rather than the system used in the more expensive Tesco Metro and Central stores.

In answer to another question Ms Chiswell explained parking at Tesco stores is free unless a district authority decides otherwise. Free parking is one of the issues which town centre traders, represented by Marlborough Chamber of Commerce, feel would put them at a disadvantage.

One pro Tesco supporter expressed disappointment that the store would not be bigger. Simon Russell, a planning consultant for Tesco explained that a very technical approach was employed in putting together a planning application.

He said Tesco had to present a store which would have support at the planning permission stage and which would seem more reasonable to existing local retailers. Melissa Chiswell added that to meet the council’s requirements things would have to be done this way or they simply would not happen for years.

A consultation process is to take place including household surveys to be carried out by an independent company. A public consultation between Tesco and the town is pencilled for September 25th and 26th.

Tesco hope to submit the planning application in November and a decision is expected in Spring 2010.