Lines drawn in battle of Tesco

By luke bishop luke.bishop@essnmedia.co.uk

TESCO says massive opposition to its plans to build a supermarket in Ashtead is "galling".

In its opening statement at Tuesday's public inquiry into two separately rejected plans to build a Tesco supermarket at the former Esso site in The Street, the company refuted opposition claims by both the council and residents.

Christopher Katkowski QC, representing the supermarket company, said: "In overall conclusion, it is ironic and more than a little galling to find Tesco's proposals to build a supermarket in a district centre met with such opposition.

"But once all the emotion is stripped out of the equation and one analyses the issues raised with a cool head, it is apparent that there is no overriding reason to reject either of the schemes."

Both sets of plans were rejected by Mole Valley District Council after massive opposition from residents of the village.

The first – and larger – proposal was rejected by both planning officers and councillors in March 2009 while the second set of plans was thrown out by councillors this February.

Such is the strength of feeling that in just a few weeks residents collected £25,000 to hire planning expert Geoff Douglass and barrister Claire Parry to represent the Ashtead Residents' Association (ARA) and Save Ashtead's Village Environment (SAVE) campaign at the inquiry.

Kenn Jordan, of The Murrays, spoke to the Advertiser.

He said: "I moved into Ashtead about a year ago and looking around the village one of the things I really liked was the village atmosphere.

"The fact that we have got a local greengrocers, and traders that you can go in and talk to.

"Being born and bred in London I have seen where a lot of towns get a big supermarket all the local stores disappear."

Linda Butler is representing the residents of Pound Court who would live adjacent to the supermarket if it was built.

She said: "We are amongst the most badly affected by these plans and we see it as an uninvited, unwelcome and offensive intrusion into our lives and homes."

Claire Parry, in her opening statement on behalf of the ARA, also raised concerns about highways issues, saying that Tesco has underestimated the amount of increased traffic.

She added: "These concerns are, the ARA will say, significant because the junction between Woodfield Lane and The Street is a substandard junction with inadequate site lines."

The inquiry, chaired by inspector Nicholas Hammans, is set to run into next week, with residents putting forward their views on Tuesday.