BILL WIGGIN MP

The process by which large superstores on the edge of towns, particularly small towns, destroys the town centre is well understood and must not be allowed to happen to Ledbury. I believe that there is a Government initiative to revive town centres. That must be a very difficult process, and it makes no sense whatever to allow another one to be lost. Whatever reasons are put forward in favour of a large store are insignificant compared to the damage to the town that will certainly ensue.

A larger store would draw more traffic to Ledbury. Traffic coming from the East would most likely approach on the A449 from Malvern, turn right at the Top Cross and then left onto Bye St. to approach the new store. This would put considerable extra strain on Ledbury’s already busy High Street increasing the likelihood of accidents.

Private traffic would also increase significantly on Lower Rd. Trading Estate where heavy goods vehicles, forklifts, loading and other hazards are common.

It’s long been identified that Ledbury lacks suitable parking availability. Commercial or residential redevelopment of the existing Tesco site would reduce this even further.

There seems to be a good case that large out of town supermarkets have a negative impact on high street traders, drawing custom away from the town centre. Local examples could include Leominster and Malvern.

Ledbury is a town that seems well catered for in terms of supermarket choice and size, although stretched in terms of parking availability and transport planning/services.

Siting the new store on the edge of town is likely to reduce footfall in the High Street and immediate vicinity. The small independent shops are the jewel in Ledbury’s crown and are what makes the town so special and the siting of a large supermarket on the edge of town will reduce the numbers of people using these shops and decimate a currently thriving town centre. Car use would increase as people would have to use their car to reach the store.
We need to keep Ledbury local.

If Tesco, or any of the other big supermarket, is allowed to build an out of town store in Ledbury, you can wave goodbye to our market town. Not only will we lose our butchers, greengrocers and bakers, but also banks and the Post Office. Tourists will no longer come to visit the town as there will be nothing to attract them. At the moment people come not only for our historic buildings, but because we have a fine collection of independently owned shops. Tesco is being contentious by saying that the current store is too small. That is rubbish as any indendent survey would prove. I have only ever seen the store and car park full at Christmastime. They also do not need to be open all night, adding to the noise and light pollution. Also, how many full-time jobs are expected to be created? I doubt that it will be the 100+ that is being suggested.

Dear Mr wiggin
It is not so much the Economics that should be a worry but the consequences of the traffic flow from the Worcester side of Ledbury and on through the town. You may recall the 1973 proposals for releaving the congestion in the town at that time. these included a link road from the A417 between the town and Parkway and looping through Coneygree Wood to join the A449 on the Eastnor side. had this been built we wouldn’t have today’s situation. I there is a real danger that further increases in the Top Cross traffic will cause damage to the buildings and a collapse of the road. Planners mus stop adding to the Town without Properly fixing the infrastructure. Not to do this is irisponsible.

My concerns relate to the vitality of the town centre. The current location is walkable for those living in town and therefore does not encourage a car culture. The out of town site would make it necessary to jump in the car which will not benefit the high street.

I have seen the disaster that has befallen other town centres after Tesco has arrived – in Welshpool, Powys, the new Tesco apparently required a new one way system which has ruined the ambiance of the town centre and made it a drive through on the way to other places, rather than maintaining the high street as a destination in itself. I am concerned that the new superstore could do similar damage to Ledbury which has such fantastic selection of independent shops.

I am currently on maternity leave so am able to regularly use the local shops as well as Tesco. However, I think it is important to recognise that it isn’t always easy for people who work, especially those with long commutes, to use the independent shops. These people will be more inclined to vote for a new Tescos unless local retailers can make it easier for them to shop on the high street – for example, could shops experiment with later opening hours on a certain day/s?

Finally, I would like to see Tesco make better use of the current site in terms of products stocked. The layout at the moment is messy, particularly with special promotions at the front of store and i’m sure could be improved to enable a better product selection.

In an ideal world we would all love to use local shops, run by local business men and women. But while most of us have an ever shrinking household budget price is everything. I in no way support the rise of massive monopolies like Tesco. I really do sympathise with those who want to stop them building new ones, but as long as Tesco keep prices down to those we can just about afford, I will shop there rather than pricier “local” alternatives.
As with all these proposed developments no supermarket will build where there is not significant evidence of local demand. If Tesco couldn’t be sure the people of Ledbury would shop in the new store they would not risk the money to build it. Ledbury people have created the demand and Ledbury people will get the store to satisfy that. Of course some people will object, usually those with the money and time to browse around half a dozen local stores during working hours, or those with a political animosity towards Tesco and Supermarkets in general, usually based on ideology rather than pragmatism.
I support working people, and working people need jobs, convenient opening hours and cheap prices. These needs are not being met currently by local small businesses. Reluctantly I support the new store, I wish someone other than a supermarket giant could satisfy these needs, but so far no one else has stepped up.

My wife and I are very much in favour of the proposed development. Neither of the supermarkets in Ledbury is big enough to provide a full range of groceries etc., and we very much suspect that most people, as we do, of necessity, also do an out-of-town shop for a lot of items. If that is the case, we might as well be able to do a big shop in Ledbury as elsewhere, and no difference will be made to the town centre. We would also agree with Tesco that the present store is too small for its current usage: in contrast with some of your other correspondents we have seen it very crowded at times and also seen the car park virtually full. If there is any large-scale housing development, let alone the numbers planned, we probably shan’t be able to get near the place at popular times!

In any event, most of the town centre shops – admittedly not all – seem to be specialist or high-end outlets with which Tesco wouldn’t compete anyway, and if people value the others as much as some appear to do then presumably they will continue to use them, as we shall. With a good-size supermarket in the town as well we would all at least have a choice.

Ideally we might be better off with a bit of competition and have, say, a Sainsbury’s store, but as that doesn’t seem to be on offer then let us have a bigger Tesco. As Mike Hill suggests, it should be possible to get some form of “planning gain” out of the company: I believe that one councillor has suggested that the existing store could be turned into a sports centre or the like, which would be an excellent addition to the town. It may be true that the present store could be better managed, but it will never be able to stock a full range of goods and we cannot see how any significant expansion could be made on its present site.

I support a larger supermarket out of town. Ledbury currently does not offer the choices a modern working family need out of hours. We have to shop at malvern or Ross which is daft. Those who want and have time to shop in town still can – I will still visit the high street as much as I did before

I think Ledbury is a beautiful small town with individual shops where service is important to the customer and the retailer. we are fortunate that we still have 3 independant butchers, 2 independant grocery shops, a independant wine merchant, delicatessian and a good number of boutiques and cafe’s. A Superstore on the outskirts of Ledbury would take trade away from the town centre and close many of the independants we value. Tesco dont do ‘good’ customer service, they want you in and out with as much of your money as they can possibly get, as quickly as they can get it.

Their staff attitude, I think, is appalling, especially when they make ‘fun’ of the elderly and disabled behind their backs (I know this for a fact as I have personally witnissed this). I have seen staff use people in wheelchairs as nothing more than an obstacle to be walked over, and generally they seem to view customers as ‘a nuicense’, and think nothing of pushing in front of clients.

Generally I am opposed to Tesco or any other large store coming here and closing our local business’ as they have already done – when we had a indepenant polish food shop they closed the cafe to put polish food in the store and the small shop closed within a few weeks.

I am all for the proposed new Tesco and in my opinion it can’t come quick enough!! I rarely visit shops in town and this isn’t because I struggle to find a parking space (it’s very rare that I can’t find one.) In actual fact, I only shop in Ledbury occasionally as I find some shops over charge, others have terrible customer service and the remaining ones sell nothing I want/need. That is not to say all shops are like this. I have had very good experiences in some of Ledbury’s shops but unfortunately do not have the need to use them that often. Hopefully, a new Tesco would be a kick up the backside to those shopkeepers who need it. I’m aware that some residents choose to shop locally and I’m sure they would continue to do so. There are many attractions in town to keep people shopping there such as the coffee shops, library and specialist shops so these should still continue to be supported. However, I am sure I’m one of many who are fed up of not being able to buy decent priced clothes for men, women and children, reasonably priced wellingtons, seasonal items, cookware, bedding, towels etc. We often travel to Hereford to buy items such as these as well as visiting either Tesco or Asda to purchase groceries which are not available in Ledbury. It seems that the new Tesco will minimise the need for residents to have to shop in a larger town or city. Ledbury is growing and the shops and supermarkets need to be big enough and offer enough variety in items and price to be able to support the residents and visitors to the area. Those who enjoy shopping in the High Street will continue to support the local traders and those who do not will be able to shop in Ledbury for a change rather than have to travel.

In response to Georgina. Do you actually use the Ledbury Tesco? Admitedly, some staff members are rude, but that is down to that individual not Tesco. Can’t comment on your wheelcahair issues as I have not witnessed that, but the Polish part of your comment doesn’t make any sense. When you enter Tesco, the cafe was on the left, quite a largish area, now full of all sorts of odds and ends that anyone could buy in Woolworths, before it disappeared. The Polish food is a small section, about 3 ft wide and about 6 shelves, by the checkouts. Oh, and by the way, at that time Tesco closed almost all of their cafes. They are now re-thinking that one and re-opening some of them.

We need a bigger store! The one we have doesn’t stick enough – making us visit neighbouring larger towns! This would save our fuel! And time!
Not everyone can afford to shop in the local shops for everything. I don’t think it will affect the town as much as some worry! As I already shop in supermarkets where prices are lower – but at the moment it just means we have to go further a field to do so!!
Please let us have the new store. A cheaper fuel station with it would be brilliant too!!

I think anyone who could think having an out of town Tesco could possibly attract more visitors into Ledbury town centre is deluded. If you ever visit Morrisons in Ross or Malvern, how often do you go in to their town centres?

I support the view that a larger Tesco will attract more people from surrounding towns and villages, but only to the Tesco store. This means more traffic with no benefit to the town. In particular this means a lot more traffic from the north east (Malvern/Worcester) direction that will go through the town centre but won’t stop there. The top cross and Knapp Lane are very serious bottlenecks already for traffic from those directions and this can only make things much, much worse.

There are comments from supporters of a larger Tesco suggesting those who are against such a scheme aren’t backing up their claims with evidence. There is a Facebook group called Ledbury Opposes Tesco Superstore where there are various documents and links that do provide evidence of the harm that is caused to town centres like Ledbury’s when out-of-town superstores are opened. Anyone who wants to read the evidence should go to that group with an open mind.

There is also significant evidence available to show that typically Tesco and other supermarkets’ claims of massive increases in jobs are bogus. Furthermore you need to remember that the proportion of each £1 spent at Tesco that goes back in to the local economy is tiny when compared to the equivalent in a local shop; local shopkeepers will generally use small, local companies for refurbishment, decoration, flooring etc whereas typically the large supermarkets will have multi-million pound contracts with maintenance companies based in far-flung parts of the country.

I would suggest that the “yes” brigade open their minds and think a little beyond the “what’s easiest for me” attitude. It really is time that people started to think about more than just themselves. Think about the people who will lose their jobs as a result of a new Tesco; those whose lives will be made a misery because of the amount of traffic flowing past their front door to get to the new Tesco.

Intriguingly some people in businesses in town even support this proposal; this is very short-sighted of them. They seem to believe that just because Tesco does not directly compete with their business that they’re not going to be affected.I suspect that is far from the case. A run-down town centre will attract very few visitors so passing trade will be lost. There’s also the perception that good quality shops and services (like hairdressers) and so on are not likely to be found in a run-down town so that can affect their business too.

My personal view too is that Tesco where it currently is could be perfectly adequate with, as someone else suggested, better stock management. I’m sure that the choice of what goods to stock could relatively easily be adjusted to be more useful. Someone suggested cheap children’s clothing; this is something that Ledbury’s been missing since Woolworths closed down. I agree that would be very useful, but I think Tesco could stock items like that if they were to reorganise a bit. What would probably be a better solution would be for Tesco and Co-op to come to some arrangement to try to limit the cross-over between the stores.

As a final note though I’d also remind anyone readig that One-Stop is also a Tesco store; Tesco claim One-Stop are run independently of Tesco Express etc but I don’t see why they can’t look at rebranding One-Stop as a Tesco named shop and look more closely at rationalising the products sold. One-Stop has many of the same things as Tesco but at vastly inflated prices; make it more complementary to the general Tesco stock and it might work a lot better for the community.

Ultimately, in my opinion, allowing Tesco to make this move will do nothing but harm to Ledbury and I am strongly against the proposal.

“I would suggest that the “yes” brigade open their minds and think a little beyond the “what’s easiest for me” attitude”.

I would suggest that people are entitled to their own opinions. As someone that works full time, I do not consider going out of town to buy groceries as an exciting way to fill my weekend. To be fair, I’d rather do the ironing and I loathe that!
I wonder how often you actually do your weekly shop or plan tasty and various meals while sticking to a budget. Do you have to clothe your children on a budget or are you fortunate enough to be able to pop into the nearest city to buy good quality clothes with a much higher price tag?
I work hard for my money and I will NOT spend it in local shops with marked up prices just so they can stay in business. We are in desperate need of that Tesco. If you don’t like it – don’t use it!

i personally agree with the new and improved tesco because;
1.more jobs(desperatly needed in the area)
2.more people visiting the town(helps bring wealth to the town)
3.more people using the by pass to get to tesco (which has very little traffic at all hours) instead of clogging up the high street to get to the old tesco which, brings ledbury to a stand still everyday.that is why i and many others refuse to use any shops or serivces in the town due to no parking and to much trafic, which is surely very dangerous for all people in the town.people who use shops in the town will always do so regardless of tescos expanding,but will the people who travel to ledbury,still come if tesco does not fulfill its duty as a supermarket to provide parking,value for money and varierty of choice?at the moment i can very rarley get a parking space for my disable father, or my new born child.do these people who think of themselves and not others,think that these duties are important to be accounted for?

at the end of the day,if nothing changed the human race would become non exsistant.

always remember the past, but always keep your eye on the future!

improve ledbury’s tesco!!!!!!!!!

I totally welcome a bigger better Tesco store to the town. I don’t very often shop in the town centre because what is there is not relevant to me, or the prices are way to expensive for me.
On top parking is a nightmare.
This week I was searching the town for my little girl to have some new socks, and yet again this town does not cater for things like this. The clothes shops up town do not cater for the younger person, nor do they cater for children (apart from the designer shop), which forces people to go out of town.
I tend to do my food shopping over the internet or at the tesco’s in town, and I would love to have a bigger food selection, clothes section, and home/household section.
The chemists in town would still be used, as most people would still pop to one of them after visiting a Dr or after picking up the prescriptions. After all they are so closely located to the Drs, and close to where you have had to park to go to the Drs.

The future of Ledbury lies with the younger generation and even now the younger families are choosing to shop outside of the town centre for groceries etc – the development & expansion of Tesco on a site less than a 5 minute walk or 2 minute drive away from the town centre can only enhance the shopping experience and encourage those who go elsewhere to remain in Ledbury.

I believe there are government plans to expand the housing areas in and around Ledbury with as many as 600 new homes proposed – Where will those new families or newcomers to Ledbury choose to shop if the limitations remain that are presently being witnessed at the current Tesco site?

A case of supply and demand as with any business and it is all too obvious to see that logistically Tesco are currently unable to meet the demands of Ledbury people and that is purely down to the size of the current site – it and Ledbury has simply outgrown the sites capabilities. A larger store will not only be able to meet that demand but in doing so give the customer a greater choice by means of range of goods etc that are stocked.

The last Bank Holiday Monday portrayed everything about the current debate as to a new larger Tesco or not – all of the privately owned shops located in the main town centre were closed (many of those same shop owners campaigning and opposing any Tesco plans) whilst Tesco was full with all car park spaces taken and the shop busy.

It really is high time that Ledbury did more to encourage people to visit, take away the poetry festival and carnival day and just what has Ledbury to offer? With a planned Tesco located handily to the Ledbury by-pass it can and will only encourage travellers passing by to stop and if just 5% of those ‘out of towners’ take time out to visit the high street’ then those same shop owners will benefit to the tune of 5% more passing trade.

I urge the residents of Ledbury and its’ surrounding areas to welcome the development and rather than choose to travel to cities such as Gloucester, Hereford or Worcester for their weekly shop to accept the more than welcome new and bigger Tesco site and in doing so take that 5 minute walk or 2 minute drive to visit the main town centre too.

The following appeared on the Ledbury Portal website. Bill Wiggin must be aware that there is substantial support for Tesco and the “Ledbury approves Tesco Superstore” group has many more members than the anti group. Everyone who wants the Tesco store should make sure Bill gets the message.

“MP Bill Wiggin has written to Ledbury Town Council urging it to carry out an independent economic impact assessment on the proposed Tesco hypermarket proposal.
Writing to the council on the 27th June Mr Wiggin states: “I believe that this proposal could have potentially serious implications for shops and businesses on Ledbury High Street and I have received a great deal of correspondence on this matter from my constituents. All of them have expressed their opposition to a Tesco superstore.”

This is wrong – many have expressed support!
 

Tesco currently actually cannot do anything about keeping stock on their shelves to keep all the customers who visit their store satisfied, ask anyone who works there, the reason for this is they cannot carry the reserves for keeping the shelves fully stocked and it is simply because they DONOT have the stock room/storage space in order to do so at their current site and as they respect the constraints on their deliveries imposed when they opened up the current store on this site, so as to limit disruption as much as is possible to the residents that live near the store, they simply cannot do anything other than change location and give Ledbury what it is in need of, a store with a greater selection of goods, more economically priced, in order to suit all needs & requirements of all the Ledbury residents, in other words provide consumers with a choice! After all thats what it should be a choice, not all the high end Ledbury shops that attract tourists will be affected at all, as said many times on this page, many of the Ledbury born & bread residents just cannot afford these prices, the town should cater for all its residents shouldn’t it surely, Ledbury is not just for the wealthier people is it, just normal working class people who can or can’t afford to purchase in town should be allowed this choice, without the need to travel out of town to find these products at affordable prices, impacting on everyone, Ledbury High Street included, as many of Ledbury residence simply cannot afford the Ledbury High Street prices, surely these people have a right to a choice and those without vehicles or money for public transport, should not have to suffer and not be denied this choice just because they do not have the money that some others may have, should they?
My family are Ledbury born and bread, still living in Ledbury, all I hear is how there is simply no choice for people on a limited budget in Ledbury, which in todays climate are quite a few, this is wrong, how can we look at providing some 600 more homes and not have the resources to cope with this planned further enlargement of the town. To attract people into town, you need to have something to encourage them in in the first place, and I am not just talking about retiring to Ledbury or the tourists, I am talking about the young families who are being priced out of Ledbury. Yes keep the quaint little black and white market house, with its charm, keep all the little tourist shops, coffee shops etc, but give something to make families want to stay in Town too, living & shopping, after all the children are the future of this town aren’t they and as a child growing up in Ledbury, I used to travel out of town then to shop & for the same reasons as people do now, all the young families and teenagers, except the cost of living was not nearly so expensive then as it is now and has this shut down the high street thus far, NO it hasn’t! We need to think of everybody who lives n Ledbury, that is the future of Ledbury and sometimes providing a resource that will benefit many rather than just a few has to be given a fair hearing too!
Good luck Tesco’s I say!

I am an OAP living in north Ledbury, ( not a fictional character ) so am fairly close to the existing store.. Tesco have very limited storage space in this store, hence, the shelves are not stocked up until deliveries arrive, and the sales area is not enough to cope with the huge numbers of shoppers that descend on it on a thursday,friday and saturday, therefore a new larger store is much needed. On the subject of access,has anyone tried to get to the store past lorries waiting to unload on Belle Orchard, and then you have the service bus parked at the entrance, Who,s idea was it to place a bus-stop in such a hazardous place,Yes my friends the very same planners that are talking traffic hazards now for the proposed store.. Ledbury has survived many RISKS to the town centre.Our wonderful market with its throngs of shoppers (and boozers)now gone elsewhere,Then Somerfield arrived, tut tut, and now we have Tesco. Hey folks the town centre is still here

I am all in favour of the new Tesco development, in fact I am annoyed we are not being offered a filling station.

We have no choice in the Ledbury store, it is too small for the town especially when all the fruit workers arrive. It is so crampt and the shelves are very often empty of essential items.

I will continue to use the butchers, bakers and greengrocers in town, as I prefer to buy local produce.

I think the shop keepers of Ledbury only think with their wallets, I already chose to boycott ones where I have received extremely rude service. A new store will bring more people into Ledbury, instead of the shopping on line or going to Hereford or Malvern.

All the fancy clothes and furniture cannot rely on the tourist for all their trade, they need to offer something the locals want.

The high street is mostly closed before 9.30 and after 5pm. Tescos is open, so are the convenience shops – that is what people want – that is why they are always busy.

Bill, as our MP, you have to listen to both side of the argument. One thing, if Tesco moves, will they be able to fund more parking spaces in the town (like their existing site) and attract more visitors to the town.

Will we be able to see the minutes of the meeting with Tesco afterwards so we can see that you have mention both sides of the story and not being one sided.

Good afternoon Mr Wiggins, I do feel that there are some reasonably good arguments on here for you to absorb and I hope that the For Tesco will now get as much of your attention as the Against Tesco.
I am a little concerned with some of the Against’s comments though, which do seem to be fueled by an absolute hatred of big stores, seemingly mostly Tesco’s!
Surely this debate should be about whether a larger store just on the outskirts of town is beneficial to the majority of Ledbury’s residents & surrounding area residents, old, young & middle aged too, nobody wants to see hardworking shopkeepers lose their jobs, Ledbury town centre turn into a ghost town, sucked dry by 1 store moving position, Really come on that is a little extreme, Ledbury didn’t dry up & die when Somerfield opened, Spar is still open now actually my brother works in there now as I did then! Ah then came the Tesco & One Stop, did Ledbury turn into a ghost town then, NO! Unfortunately the redundancies are happening all over the country at the moment & lack of money to survive affects everyone, not just shop owners doesn’t it!
It is no good the Against’s Tesco attacking the Fors because they are simply not saying what they want to hear, everyone has a RIGHT to their own opinion, so please stop bullying the Fors all you Against’s & insinuating that they are selfish, lazy and have no idea what they are talking about, that is uncalled for & the people who would love to shop in town but can’t for reasons they have legitimately given, should not be insulted by the Against group & ridiculled as not worthy of their own opinion on whether Ledbury has a bigger store or not!
The people of Ledbury have a voice, many do want to be heard & many don’t feel the need to say what they feel everyday but Everybody has a right to their own opinion, whether others agree or not, so do please stop bullying & putting down the ones that don’t agree with you, writing put downs after everything they right, it is totally unecessary & quite rude to be quite frank whether you see it as that way or are maybe unaware of this, there are more people with opinions to be heard that just yours Mr McCabe.
I personally think Ledbury is more than the size of a little Market Town, even more so now, the Market went years ago & change happened as I believe it will now & for the better of Ledbury, as I said previously the current choice of economic brands are just not available in Ledbury & to insinuate that Ledbury born & bread residents should move out of Ledbury so it can stay locked in the past is very rude indeed, ridiculous even & it’s not a village is it, it’s a growing town with growing needs too!
Also this belief & scare tactic depicting that Tesco is some sort of demon & has alterior motives, purposely running the current store badly in order to gain permission for a bigger store & suggesting Tesco is controlling the councillors etc, is very slanderous to your councillors & local MP too!
Personally I do hope that Tesco gain the permission it needs for this store.

Bill

I’d be interested in knowing whether the parking is intended to be free at the new location. At the moment customers are allowed a certain amount of time free. While it may be a slight abuse of the system, this allows one to do a bit of shopping at Tesco and then wander in to town for anything else that’s needed. The new site is far enough away from the town centre to make that much less convenient so I can see that an offer of free parking at that location would not be of any benefit to the town centre.

Making the car parking at the new site council-run (pay-and-display) with charges like those in the town centre would be a fairer system and would to some extent create a more level playing field (similar to Morrisons in Hereford).

I feel that the evidence is available to show that in other towns where a huge out of town supermarket has been built, the town centre suffers. The recent research initiated by the C.P.R.E. concluded that the balance of two small supermarkets each end of a busy market town as we have in Ledbury is fairly unique and serves to support hundreds of jobs locally. Please do not support the planning application from tesco.

Tesco’s proposal to apply for planning permission for a new superstore larger than the Tesco store in Belmont Hereford on the site of Ledbury Welding & Engineering should be vigorously objected to. The company should be prevented from receiving planning permission as it will be both economically and aesthetically detrimental to the town of Ledbury.

The proposal is likely to cause harm as it will draw customers away from the High Street and the character of the town, dominated by the famous and distinctive Market House, would be in jeopardy. High Street retailer’s are finding the recession difficult enough to cope with without the unfair monopolistic competition that such store would provide to the town and surrounding locality. All retailers within a significant radius of the store would not be immune from the potential loss of trade.

Presumably the company did its strategic long-term marketing research prior to planning and building its current store and equally the local planning authorities are assumed to have fully investigated the economic ramifications for the current site prior to granting the original site permission which has now resulted in the town and surrounding area being amply catered for for in terms of supermarket choice and size, indeed the current size and location is deemed to be comercially advantageous to the whole town and it seems wrong to upset this well planned equlibrium.

Should planning be granted, High Street and proximate shops will inevitably be vacated with the consequential loss of jobs and business rates payable to the council. The latter loss of revenue is likely to increase pressure upon financing local services. The last decade has seen significant residential development to the Town which is well catered for as regards infrastructure. Thus in any application submitted by Tesco, should they chose to offer the town additional facilities as part of their proposal, they should not receive the decisive weighting in any decision that may be hoped for by them as applicant.

The following link appears to relate to the issue which appears to be unhappy local reading. http://www.ledburyportal.co.uk/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3814:tescos-secret-meeting-with-selected-councilors.

Jayne I do realise that you are worried about your livelihood of course you are bound too but what about other people, there are thousands of people in Ledbury and they all matter too don’t they, what keeps their family well & happy counts too surely doesn’t it, their opinion? An awful lot of people who can, shop out of Ledvury & this has been happening for a very long time, many years in fact as mention many times by Fors & Against & now it seems they online shop too having their groceries deliveries too, if this has been the case thus far, the new store being sited just out of town centre shouldn’t affect you anymore than you are experiencing now in these economic tough times, those same people who keep food on your table still will & the others will do as they have been up to now & shop elsewhere!
There is an awful lot of nastiness being brandished on this portal why, it isn’t from the Fors either it is mainly from certain Againsts who slate anyone with a mind of their own, people who slander others saying they selfishly want not to have to pay extra travelling out of town costs or not having to pay delivery charges to get the goods they require at a competitive price, these people want to be happy & their families too, simple enough request & not at all selfish!
Please will people STOP slating people as not worthy of having their own opinions just because they don’t match their own, asking people who have no links to Tesco & Ledbury to get involved is verging on extremism & quite a frightening thought, beware of who you are inviting to have a say, it should only be people who live work have families etc in & around Lexbury that are involved in this as it does seem to be turning into a WE HATE TESCO AND ANYONE WHO LIKES IT campaign.
Stay calm & listen to others thoughts, worries & even thiose looking forward to, this is one town not a war zone so please don’t let the extremists who thrive on mixing it up a bit ruin it for everyone else who lives in Ledbury.
There are valid arguments from both sides, what happened to listening to others & working on a solution that suits all!

It is nice to have someone say something without using this as a sounding board for their absolute extreme dislike of all things Tesco & not allowing people to have an opinion different to their view Andrew, it is a problem for some people and would stop others from maybe even having a say for fear of facing the wrath of the Against group of people. Everybody has an absolute right to feel & think what they want to for their own reasons and when being bullied, all this achieves is a lack of anything other than an argument and no movement forward.
I think all of Ledbury probably only want what is best for Ledbury, why wouldn’t they if they actually live there and this in itself is a problem, as a diverse group give diverse opinions but as they are a diverse group hence this is the problem, different people with different views and needs, what ever happens there will not be 100% satisfaction, this is an impossible ask I fear, so there has to be a true poll taken, otherwise there will never be a resolution for Ledbury, just a long drawn out episode, full of upset!

I am all for the new tesco!! I have a 17 month old son who was diagnosed with being lactose intolerant 6 months ago,and for the past 6 months i have struggled to buy lactofree food and milk for him. The current tesco has no variety due to the size of the store. I now shop in hereford tesco because I know they sell all of the milk and food for my son.
A new larger tesco would keep my buisness within ledbury and therefore leave me with more disposable income to spend on ledbury highstreet. I can only see that this is a positive for all ledbury based buisnesses.

I applaud the request for an independent impact assessment; it is a measured approach and should provide the foundation for the best outcome for Ledbury.

It may be appropriate that a CACI forecast also be requested: this is the “industry standard” drivetime and catchment research provider which could provide a projection of the levels of additional traffic created by both delivery vehicles servicing a new superstore and the traffic impact on the town from those using the new store should the application be successful. Perhaps Tesco could share this information rather than an additional survey being commissioned; it will undoubtedly be part of their research pack.

This town and its elected representatives need to wake up to the fact that anything that means more large scale employment in this town needs to be encouraged . Premier foods are a prime example of this, 80 years of jam manufacturing in Ledbury and they pull out at the drop of a hat the other two big “Multis” in town could do just that at any time.Think of the big employers Ledbury has lost in the last 20 years and not replaced. “Thriving town” I think not!!!. More better paid jobs for “Local people” should be top of the agenda not more houses. “Getting prioritys right springs to mind”

Dear Mr. Wiggin,

1. Is an impact study proposed prior to the development going ahead and will this be independently and objectively scrutinised?

If no impact study is proposed can we discover why not and by whom it was refused?

2. Can they provide the town with any examples from similar sized towns where they have placed an out of town development in the last 5 years and the town centre has thrived as a result (according to objective, independent evidence?)

(This question has already been proposed by a previous contributor but I consider it an important question to ask)

3. Tesco claim the development will increase economic activity generally in Ledbury. Will they fully compensate independent traders if the plans go ahead and the contrary is objectively and independently shown to have occurred? (This would be inkeeping with the ethos of the levy on supermarkets recently discussed by the Conservative Party in relation to localism and the preservation of high streets).

4. If the development goes ahead Tesco’s present justifications are found not to be the case, i.e. net employment in Ledbury is reduced, independent traders are adversely affected, etc., how and by whom will they be held accountable?

To all

I wasn’t going to comment on this issue as it appears any who are not opposed to the RELOCATION of the store are far from entitled to their opinion .

I experienced this first hand when i tried to join both Facebook groups to get a grasp of both sides of the debate ( now a personal slanging match!! ). I was in by opinion pounced upon and then blocked from the group to prevent me being able to respond , which to be honest after seeing the posts and attitudes of the members I would have been reluctant to raise my voice anyway .

I live in a household of only three and still struggle to get all of the things I need from the current Tesco . I usually shop online or travel to Hereford or Malvern .
Also note on doing this i then visit their town centres and look around their shops contrary to many forced opinions on what we as people do or don’t do .

I feel that if we were able to save some money , by being offered a larger range of products at the new store and actually being able to buy special offers that are available online that are store simply isnt big enough to house all of , i then would have more money to spent in the shops of my own town .

I do feel that’s children’s clothing is a very valid point from all of those brave enough to raise . The tiny range in Ledbury is simply unrealistic , the average family can not afford to cloth their children in designer clothes . School stocks i.e. jumpers ,cardigans, underwear, summer dresses etc is non existent . Just because we live in what is a former market town doesn’t mean simple things should warrant a journey to Hereford / Malvern to keep current shop keepers happy .

People suggest that what Tesco plans to build a superstore , well the plan stated slightly larger than Belmont Tesco I think this is in keeping with demand here in led bury , which will become greater should the estate be built by the viaduct .

By the way the pharmacy at Belmont is still there despite a superstore on it doorstep despite fears it would close many years ago when the store was built . I Do feel the obviously people views on the topics are likely to differ but I think that traders are thinking of it through their own eyes as are “the yes brigade” but this is inevitable .

Terms like narrow minded may be taken as offensive but I believe that being called deluded when people don’t even know you is equally as offensive . I believe that there is little interaction between the sites as the opposed are not prepared to see if from anyone else’s point of view .

I see the debate from both sides but then again I do believe that this is still down to a huge element of choice , if you currently use the high street you will continue to do so ,and co op will still be there for any one who doesn’t want to make the five minute trip out of town to top up on supermarket supplies.
I for one do both ..I use the butchers in town and at LDA , Tesco’s , the greengrocers , despite their locations . People will shop where they choose to do so , and at this current time mostly this is online or in other towns .

A lot , not all before I get pounced upon again, of the opposed are traders and they are looking at it from their point of view and so are the shoppers and the families on budget and everyone is entitled to do so .

To have an opinion and a part of shaping where we will all no doubt live for many years to come because of its quaint nature , and beautiful location , lovely high street and this will happen whether a new Tesco is built to replace the old one or not in my case .

Also Tesco operating on a part time basis is actually very beneficial to some people , those e looking for a less full time job , college students ,university students , mother with children at school(which there are virtually no positions in led bury for at the moment and travelling anywhere else is hard work when your on such a small timeframe ).

Should the new homes be built in led bury and I believe there are talks of a new school library etc , to think that the current Tesco will be able to keep up demand is very unrealistic , I mean has anyone tried to shop in the store when the fruit pickers descend every other day it is cramped , the staff are overwhelmed on weekends as they do not have space for more tills or staff .

Please all remember the regardless of hours this is going to create more jobs , more contract work for local builders etc when the store is built and it in my Opinion will bring more people to the town , I for one thank Tesco for the option to be there in the first place .

Ledbury welding will relocate , and I am sure with the payout from Tesco as opposed to what would probably be a few years down the line from someone else will help ease the strain of doing so !!

Lets hope that all get to eventually have their say and both sides of the debate are listened to fairly by someone with an unbiased opinion .

Tesco is a popular and very successful supermarket and the supermarket is a popular and very successful business model. That cannot be denied.

Such supermarkets provide cheap, easily accessible food from all over the world. And that is what most people want.

Most people don’t care about the consequences – the carbon footprints of supermarkets, their monopolistic disregard for competition and the pressure they put on suppliers that squeeze profit margins to zero or below.

Their vertical and horizontal integration into every aspect of the economy makes them formidable players.

Their impact on communities, other businesses, town centres and the environment both locally and more so globally is irrefutable. If they weren’t successful, they would have no impact.

In these dire economic times Tesco must see opportunities to expand and kill off other businesses. It is the natural entreprenurial approach. In this regard Tesco is predatorial.

Perhaps, the future is already here and around us – dead and dying town centres that struggle to reinvent themselves and find purpose, becoming unpoliced, broken and anti-social.

But Ledbury isn’t like that yet. Our town remains quite healthy, perhaps because the balance between the chain stores, independents and supermarkets is about right.

However, as science and technology create new means to feed an ever increasing population – means that a few ultra-capitalists and their multi-nationals can take advantage of, one can’t help wondering if we are in a paradigm shift which is irreversible.

Tesco sat happily near the helm of the last Labour government. Its reach is certainly longer and its punch stronger than any individual or consortium of individuals can ever hope for.

We are metaphorically at a crossroads in a war zone. Environmental apocalyse one way, economic collapse another, a promised bright but uncertain scientific horizon ahead, while the human populace stumbles on in a blind, meangingless era of consumption that cares not for origins, localities, quality, environmental destruction and exploited labour.

Most people are more than happy to eat a supermarket broiler chicken that has been pumped full of chemicals and water, that has never seen daylight, that has for its short, hormonally super-charged life been caged and pecked at by its neighbours. It is cannabalistic, diseased and crippled. But most people are happy with this. And they are happy with Tesco.

One view is that the Tesco proposal should be approved because it will create new jobs in Ledbury. The CPRE Report on Ledbury’s food network clearly shows that the number of local jobs (full time and secure) at local food producers which depend on the independent outlets in our High Street way exceed the 75 probably part time jobs that Tesco say they are going to produce. From the figures available it seems that the Tesco proposal will result in a substantial net loss of jobs in the local area.

Will Tesco fund an independent and independently reviewed economic impact study of the effects of this proposal?.

There are plenty of examples of towns whose High Streets have been decimated by the arrival of an out of superstore. Can Tesco name any that have thrived with a superstore on the outskirts? The comments below were made about the small town Southam in The Leamington Observer 10/2/2011 6 months after an out of town superstore opened.

“People are simply not coming into the town centre to shop any more, so its not only the stores in direct competition with Tesco which have been affected.” 
“If the store had been built in the town centre we’d have had a fighting chance but this is the worst January I can ever remember trade worse, and it was bad before then as well.
”

Our High Street is a rare thing these days – butchers, greengrocers, independent shops and all buzzing on a Saturday. It’s too late when these shops begin to close as a result of the Tesco proposal to realise how special Ledbury is or sadly as it will be then – was. Once small independent shops close – they are gone for good.

Once the High Street begins to close down then tourists won’t come any more and a vicious circle of economic decline will set in.

Currently people walk on into the town from Tesco car park. This will not happen of it relocates to Leadon Way. Tesco could make much better use of their existing store where there are constant empty shelves.

Bye Street is already double parked and driving down it means stopping several times. This proposal will only increase traffic on an already overloaded residential street. A traffic impact study should be done too.

This proposal would remove the option to choose to support local traders and businesses in the High Street because the shops won’t be there any more.

Please act to enable accurate facts on the impact of this proposal to be established rather than relying on Tesco PR speak. Thanks for your involvement.

Mr Wiggin
I am not anti Tesco, and think they should be asked to improve their existing store. I have always been able to park there – it does not need a larger car park.
I am really concerned that any large store on the outskirts of town will affect the mix of shops in the High Street and thus have a serious impact on tourism and the health of the town centre. It will also impact on local producers who supply local shops. Tesco and other large stores do not deal fairly with small producers.
I agree with others about traffic issues.
Tesco’s huge profits are achieved at the expense of local businesses and will not be spent in Ledbury.
I would ask you to ask Tesco to support Ledbury town by remaining where they are and improving their range.

Dear Mr Wiggin

Please find below my questions for your meeting with Tesco on 7th July.

Questions I would like asked of Tesco.

Proposed store

1. Where is the independent assessment, which shows that Ledbury may or may not need a bigger Tesco? Tesco are saying this – how do they know?

2. If there is an retail assessment please may I have a copy?

3. If there actually IS a demonstrated need for a bigger store why doesn’t Tesco just improve the existing Orchard Lane Store?

4. If there actually is a need for a bigger store why doesn’t Tesco use the combined total floor space in Orchard Lane ( with improvements) and the One Stop Shop (also owned by Tesco) to offer a much wider range of goods for sale?

5. What is the planned catchment area for the proposed store?

6. How many people does Tesco anticipate it will attract per day, per week, per month, per year?

7. What is the actual trading area of the proposed store? And the gross area?

Retail impact

Ledbury is special because of the small independent shops – people visit Ledbury because it is a thriving Market Town. These Tesco proposals will impact on the viability and vitality of the town and NOT in a good way.

See what happened to Llandrindod since the arrival of Tesco (and in many other places all over the UK). The new store in Llandrindod is situated on the wrong side of the train tracks for the traditional flow of footfall through the town. The superstore opened last summer and by Oct last year shops recorded an average loss of earnings of 25 per cent, with some specific businesses having lost up to 60 per cent in revenue.

Traders hold crisis talks as Tesco hits sales
http://www.rhyljournal.co.uk/news/94468/traders-hold-crisis-talks-as-tesco-hits-sales.aspx

Tesco moving and siting the proposed new Superstore on the very edge of Ledbury will reduce the number of “linked trips” which people currently make into town. As with Llandrindod this will reduce the footfall in the High Street and immediate vicinity. At the moment people can park in Ledbury and easily visit both of the supermarkets AND the High Street shops in one trip, on foot. They can walk or cycle if they live in Ledbury itself. The High Street shops need people to walk by them and browse as well as walk into them for deliberate purchases; if Tesco build the Superstore on this edge of town site then there will be no reason to go up the High Street and browse in any of the small shops. The vitality and viability of Ledbury as a Market Town will wane, making it less and less attractive as a destination for visitors and residents, alike.

8. If Tesco build their new store, will they be paying compensation for all the lost jobs, closed stores in Ledbury AND for the wider detrimental impact on the surrounding area in general? For as long as the Superstore is in operation?

9. If not, why not?

Transport issues.

It is clear that car use would increase in and around Ledbury, as people will use their cars to get to the edge of town Superstore rather than walking, as at present. More cars will also be drawn into the area from outside of town to use the Superstore. Traffic movements will increase in and around Ledbury, with associated increase in noise and pollution.

10. How will people coming from the Malvern side of Ledbury by car actually get through town?

11. Does Tesco really believe that all the extra cars this proposed Superstore will generate, will use the bypass?

12. Have they generated an independent Traffic Impact Assessment to prove this belief?

13. If there is an Traffic Impact Assessment please may I have a copy?

14. If Tesco build their new store, will they be paying compensation to ALL those affected by the noise and light pollution, reduction in air quality from extra traffic, loss of amenity, etc? For as long as the Superstore is in operation?

15. If not, why not?

Please will you confirm that you have asked these questions at your meeting with Tesco. Please will you also publish minutes of your meeting so that we can all see the answers which Tesco provide to your questions.

Thank you.

I was going to post on this, but as a constituent I have a constitutional right to contact my MP instead.

Dear Mr Wiggin,
I would like to make the following points regarding the Tesco application for development in Ledbury.

1. Tesco’s proposed new site adjacent to Homebase would mean that people would have less incentive to go into the town centre to shop. We would lose our very good variety of independent shops and the vibrant town centre that we now have.
2. The increased size of the store will put a strain on the traffic system both by local people who would be forced to use their cars as it would be too far to walk and by the increased volume of traffic from people attracted to the larger store from outside Ledbury.
3. A town the size of Ledbury does not warrant a superstore whose size is 3000 sq.ft. greater than their Belmont Hereford store which has a much larger catchment area.
4.Supermarkets generally, and Tesco’s is no exception, buy centrally and do not support local producers to the extent that the independent shops do.

You have asked for comments on what has happened in other places. Many years ago Sainsburys opened a huge Supermarket in the middle of Bury St. Edmunds. It killed off many small shops, including one which was just round the corner from where my mother lived, which was also a post office where she drew her pension. Sainsburys then decided to build an even bigger place on the outskirts of the town and closed the town centre shop and sold the site with a deed attached to it that no purchaser could sell groceries from the site. My mother, in her 80′s and without a car, could not buy a bag of sugar or a pack of butter without getting my sister to dive her to the ‘out of town’ shopping area.
The planned Tesco site is very close to the flood plain of Ledbury. More car parking tarmac will make the problem even worse. I suggest that the plan for building the store should include a stipulation that no space outside the limit of the shop floor area should be given to car parking. Space should either be under or over the main building (in the centre of Hereford the Tesco car parking is all underneath). The extra expense in that cost might deter them from the plan!
If the intended hypermarket goes ahead the impact on the people living in Bye Street and Lower Road will be horrific. Will they all be given a reduction in their rates for such a devaluation in their properties? I imagine that some of them will become almost unsaleable.
Cicely Palmer

Dear Mr Wiggins
I should like to voice my disapproval of an out of town Tesco.

I agree with so many points voiced by others but am not able to put my points across so well as others.

I feel that an out of Town Tesco will detract from Ledbury Town Centre and slowly kill the town off. It isn’t just Tesco but any large supermarket.
The existing Tesco is plenty large enough and there is a Co-op the other end of town. Ledbury does not need this large out of town Superstore.
I came to Ledbury 12 years ago as it is such a lovely town with individual shops.

Before I moved to Ledbury I lived in Malvern and that has slowly died with the out of town stores. It is now made of of Estate Agents, Building Societies, Banks, Charity shops, etc. When I moved there in the late 60′s it was a thriving town with individual shops. Please don’t allow Ledbury to go the same way.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, Mr Wiggins.

Sincerely

Christine Penter

Bill

One Stop (Owned by Tesco)

We currently have a One Stop which also houses our Post office.

What assurances will Tesco give that it won’t close the One Stop like it did in Cressex, High Wycombe. An undertaking was given there not to close it (unless there was a downturn in takings). there was, and it closed, with Tesco requiring much pressure before it relocated the Post office to the new store.

My concerns would be:

Any “extra jobs” would immediately be diluted by the subsequent closure of One Stop.
Post office would close.
Post Office might at best be moved out of town to the proposed new Tesco superstore (this in turn would drive more business out of Ledbury’s heart and also make it harder for people like OAP’s to get to a vital service.
A large boarded up shop would be created in the middle of town.

Thanks for listening

I endorse everything that has been said on here. The prime problem will be that a big Tesco on Lower Road will cut shoppers off from the town centre, not, as Tesco claimed at their exhibition, increase town centre trade. Inevitably, any attempt to link it to the town centre by a bus service will cause traffic problems at the top of Bye Street, which is already a congested junction – and Tesco have a bad reputation for setting up these bus services, then abandoning them after a few months.
One argument I heard in its favour (from a town councillor) was that if they build upwards of 700 homes on the Bromyard Road-railway viaduct axis, now that it has been redesignated for housing, “we’ll need a new supermarket”. Can’t for the life of me think why. I’m sure the existing traders would love the increased business!

Change is inevitable and certainly can be good.
Ledbury must remain a vibrant, county town with a proliferation of small, independent retailers bestowing their own unique character on the place.
Anything of a size that throws this balance off axis will overwhelm.
Tesco can compete handsomely already and some form of balance exists.
The monetary and choice benefits to the consumer are not what Tesco offer with an out of town Superstore. They offer complete upheaval of a towns character, a feel and uniqueness will be lost, jobs will be of a different status, choice will be diminished, earnt and spent money will leave the county.

I wish to explain why I hope that Ledbury doesn’t get a new Tesco. As a visitor to Ledbury I love the fact that it is still a proper town with a lovely town centre which remains the focal point of the town, with a range of shops. All this could well be lost if an out of town Tesco is built. Ledbury is too pretty a town to allow this to happen.

I live in a large city where the city centre is dead, and what central shopping there is happens in a homogonized edge of town shopping area that has no local shops and has no soul or community. The effect on the city has been catastrophic in every sense. Please dont let something similar happen to the wonderful town of Ledbury.

Dear Bill Wiggin,

I live in Ledbury, and from choice do not shop in Tesco but at the Co-op and local shops. However, I realise that, for many, Tesco is the most convenient way to do their shopping.

The issue of the proposed large Tesco is becoming very divisive which is not only worrying but unpleasant. I would hope that, while realising that it is impossible to please everyone, some kind of compromise could be reached with Tesco so that, as is the case now, it complements local shops.

Another point I meant to make: A superstore would certainly be cheap to start with, but not in the long run. What they are likely to do is to run it at break-even for a while, or at a loss (investment in a future monopoly). We must not be short-sighted about this.

Ledbury is a beautiful small town with independent shops and a pretty high street especially in the summer with all the hanging baskets and floral displays. Out of town large stores kill off all town centres and it would be a tragedy for this to happen to Ledbury with the development of a large supermarket on the outskirts.

Dear Bill Wiggin,

I do not live in Ledbury but choose to do my shopping there because it is an excellent place to shop with interesting independent stores. I admit I do use the existing Tesco but that is mainly because it is small and stocks everything I need to buy in a supermarket. If a Tesco superstore moved in I would certainly discontinue my weekly visits to Ledbury. There are few towns today which retain such a large proportion of independent and worthwhile traders and I think Ledbury is unique in this part of the country.

For those people who claim that the existing Tesco does not stock everything which they want, why do they not do their Tesco shopping on the internet? That would supply their needs without wrecking a lovely old town.

A superstore such as the one proposed would be unsuitsble for Ledbury. At the moment there is a good retail balance of shops, with competative prices. Also, Ledbury already has two supermarkets and any more would saturate the town and not provide healthy retail competition for the area.

As a past visitor to Ledbury, I write to register my dismay at the proposal to build a Tesco Superstore there, and my strong concern over its potentially disastrous impact on the local economy. This impact is detailed in the 400 local campaigns against supermarkets listed on the Tescopoly website:

http://www.tescopoly.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

I would urge you to support your constituents and local residents who oppose the proposal.

+1 in favour of the proposed new store. The new site is only 800 metres away from the old site, but it should avoid so many cars and lorries going through the town. It will be nice to be able to do more shopping in Ledbury, rather than driving to Waitrose in Malvern when you need ingredients for a special recipe, say. If Tesco want to spend so much money in our town, then I’m all for it. If 75 jobs are to be created, that’s great. I would like to see the old store retained for retail use – or perhaps used for a science park – rather than being sold for infill housing.

Please do everything you can to prevent this planned supermarket. If it is true that we need cheap children’s clothes, DVDs etc, why doesn’t Tesco’s take over one of the existing empty shops and stock them there? A small Tesco’s clothes/DVD shop in the High St would be very well-used, without destroying what we are so lucky to have.

While we are at it, perhaps the little shops could open outside working hours – at least one night a week? That would help those of us who work all day and show that the town is really serious about holding onto its character.

The last thing we need is another identikit town, with the same chains providing the same dreary goods, or, worse still, a dead High Street.

I welcome a new larger store with open arms.I believe this is precisely what our town needs and has needed for a long time.I have lived here my whole life and love Ledbury as much as the next person.
Ledbury is a beautiful market town,ideal for tourists,in fact i`m sure the majority of boutique shops that dominate the high street are kept going by the tourist trade we have.
I simply can`t understand why people are opposing it,other than people are always nervous of change.But times do change and I`ve watched Ledbury expand at quite a rate.The local shops can`t seem to keep up with the needs of the local people and the majority as i`ve said cater for people who can afford to spend large amounts of money and tourists who want something gimmicky.
I myself and the many people I know in Ledbury simply do not shop in Ledbury high street other than to visit the charity shops or have a coffee in the local cafes and socialise with friends,so having a larger store to me wouldn`t make much of an impact on the present shops here anyway.
I have to leave Ledbury if I need any essentials for my daughter or myself or indeed my elderly grandparents.The small business`s we do have either don`t stock what we need or are just too expensive sadly.
I look forward to a new supermarket with better choice at a price that suits today`s families.
Let`s move with the times and cater for the needs of the masses.!

I’m not that bothered if we get a bigger Tesco or not – both the current one and Co-op are expensive and don’t offer particularly good quality or choice. Ledbury is too expensive anyhow, so I do most of my shopping in the West Midlands (which I visit once a month for another reason anyway). If I want quality, I go to Waitrose in Malvern. I would say, however, that Tesco has deliberately run down its choice of stock in Orchard Lane – when they first opened 15 years ago, it was quite a good store. Not now – it’s worse than Co-op. Take, for example, salads. Most of what they have is pasta and pasta – cheap to produce and ludicrously expensive to buy…

The proposed site is nearer to my house, so I might use it for last minute items (meaning Co-op would lose out). It wouldn’t make any difference to my occasional use of small shops in town.

Forget the two pathetic ‘super’markets we have in Ledbury – what we really need is to replace them with a Lidl and a Waitrose.