Council urged to say 'No' to Tesco
Anti Tesco campaigners are urging councillors to vote against supermarket plans next week.
This comes after planning officers at Mole Valley District Council recommended that proposals to build a supermarket at the former Esso site be approved.
The final decision will now be made by councillors at next Wednesday's development control committee meeting.
Gillian Russell is from Save Ashtead's Village Environment (SAVE) which has gathered more than 5,500 signatures against the proposal and received more than 1,000 letters of objection.
She said: "They stress that it is a choice for our councillors who will be voting on our behalf, and that in making that choice our councillors are able to recognise the overwhelming desires of the villagers.
"SAVE thus calls upon the councillors, as our representatives, to reflect this opposition and reject the proposal."
Paul Le Versha, the chairman of the Ashtead Residents' Association, added: "If agreed, this proposed development will fundamentally change the character of our village centre and be a major milestone in the process of creeping urbanisation from which we are already suffering.
"Our hopes now rest upon the shoulders of the councillors on the development control committee. Majority public opinion is clear – change yes, but not this proposal."
The council had rejected last year's Tesco application but says that changes were made in the new application in terms of the building's size, the effect on neighbours and parking provision.
The report also mentioned a retail assessment from external consultants whose findings say businesses in Ashtead will benefit from a supermarket.
Bryan Elphick, chairman of the Ashtead Village Traders Association, believes the supermarket will revitalise village trade.
He said: "Without some significant change in the village, its ongoing viability would be affected."
Council planners also recommended that an application to change land at the rear of 18 Woodfield Lane is approved.
The land is owned by former county councillor Tim Ashton and the application is to turn the land into 13 car and five motorcycle spaces for the supermarket.
Eoin Dardis, a spokesman for Tesco, said: "We welcome the recommendation by officers to grant approval for our proposals for a new food store in Ashtead.
"We believe that the store will benefit the village by providing an anchor for the high street which will provide a much needed boost for the local economy."
5 Comments
by h, ashtead
Sunday, January 31 2010, 5:41PM
“I can bet that everyone who has jumped on the" save ashtead from tesco band wagon"will be doing their shopping there once it arrives.”
by actual ashtead resident, ashtead
Saturday, January 30 2010, 11:10PM
“What a load of shoe repairers! Ashtead will become a minitown because it gets a proper supermarket ?Will it become a graveyard because it now has a funeral parlour how appropriate! What annoys me most about the self styled defenders of Ashtead is Goebbels speak he who said 'half a truth is like half a brick you can sling it twice as far'Ashtead is not being killed by the proposal for a proper supermarket.It is being killed by the hyprocritical garbage who say how wonderfull Ashtead is and then drive to LiDL in Leatherhead or Sainsburys in Kiln lane to do their shopping .If the people who lived in Ashtead actually did all their shopping in Ashtead then Ashtead would be a thriving market village? As Leatherhead is described as a town but the population of Ashtead is actually higher then perhaps horrors of horror the inhabitants of the new gated estates actually live in a town! I have no love of Tesco or any giant company .They exist to maximise profit for their shareholders which probally includeds indirectly a lot of less honourable forms of life such as bankers retired or otherwise who live in Ashtead . Let there be a green stipulation that whatever supermarket takes over the site must offer free delivery for orders over 30 pounds .This will reduce congestion on the roads and reward OAPS for the frustration of living in the same village as self addicted property value addicts who love the view as they go through Ashtead in their 4x 4 on the way to pick up the lobster from Lidl.”
by Cameron, Ashtead
Friday, January 29 2010, 2:47PM
“It wont be realised what Ashtead has lost until its gone....
But by all means, sit back, don`t contribute to the community and its future and let a national monopoly chain dictate what food you buy at what price and enjoy looking at a once thriving Street full of takeaways and boarded up shops.
To the point about monopoly, many non-Tesco branded products in Tesco Leatherhead have already been replaced by the Tesco Value Range, the Tesco trade brands version, the Tesco Finest version and the Tesco Standard version with the choice of non-Tesco branded product diminshing fast.
The debate is of course about Ashtead`s future and a suitable development for the location, but it also needs to be about Tesco and its local and national dominance....
Oh and by the way, 5500 people signing the petition is not simply a handful of "moaners". Its a third of the entire population of Ashtead and over 50% of the adult population!”
by h, ashtead
Friday, January 29 2010, 11:27AM
“what would all the campainers do if the council put a stop to tescos, what band wagon would they jump on then?”
by stephen, Salfords
Thursday, January 28 2010, 7:34PM
“One can understand residents campaigning against any new large suprmarket changing the character of a 'select' town but for Councillors to go against Officers Advice could be playing with fire.
In this case Tesco will have a far richer & deeper legal pocket to take this application to Appeal and even Judicial Review than any cash-strapped district council in Surrey.
What services would the protesters like cut so that MVDC can fund any Appeal that they have to defend.
I add I have no commercial links with Tesco and fear for any grocers or butchers or greengrocers or booksellers or Radio & TV or garden supplies or car accessory shops etc to be still trading in the Ashstead area.
You will need to be extra special and smart to survive.
Stephen”