Angry Hanham residents prepare for fresh battle over Tesco plans
By The Bristol Post | Tuesday, June 19, 2012, 05:00
A CAMPAIGN has been launched to stop Tesco from trying again to build a superstore on a derelict patch of land in Hanham.
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Abbey Davies (front in blue) and residents who are campaigning to stop Tesco building a new supermarket on the Kleeneze site, below
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The supermarket chain wanted to build a new store on the former Kleeneze site behind the High Street. But councillors threw out the scheme in December 2009 after an outcry by local residents.
Tesco has now submitted new plans – this time with a smaller, single storey supermarket which is closer to the High Street. They are also allowing a firm to remain on site and making provision for two new industrial units.
One of the reasons the last scheme was turned down was because the site is zoned for industrial use.
Mother of three Abbey Davies, 45, is a swimming teacher who lives in Anstey's Drive, a small cul-de-sac which would be used as an access to the new store.
She said: "If this store goes ahead, then it will just mean an accident waiting to happen.
"There are four schools which are very close to the site and we will get articulated lorries driving down my road and New Walk which are just not meant to take big vehicles.
"The roads around here are already jammed with traffic so the idea of more people coming here is just going to mean gridlock."
She said the planning application was submitted on May 10 but the council did not send out letters to residents about the planning application until the end of the month.
She said: "We think the council is trying to get this pushed through because we have just not had a proper chance to make our views known."
Vivianne Williams, 55, a nurse at Frenchay Hospital who also lives in Anstey's Drive, said: "I don't want to live opposite a Tesco store, no one would. The noise, pollution and extra traffic is going to be awful.
"I bought my house only a year ago after I was assured that Tesco would not try again to build a new store – and now this.
"They say it's a smaller store than last time but it's still about the same size as the one in Keynsham."
Margaret Berry, whose husband Patrick campaigned against the previous Tesco scheme and died earlier this year, said: "Tesco have said there will be about 4,000 cars a day to the new store, yet there will only be 228 car parking spaces.
"I dread to think what the traffic would be like – Memorial Road where I live is already a very busy road which young children use everyday to walk to school."
The residents have already received the backing of Kingswood Tory MP Chris Skidmore who is carrying out a survey in the village to gauge people's reaction to the latest plans.
He said: "Unlike supermarkets on the edge of the ring road, we face the prospect of lorries coming through unmapped roads which are not suitable for such big vehicles.
"There is also the question of Hanham's capacity to cope with a new supermarket such as this.
"I know a lot of people want to see something done with this derelict site and it would mean about 160 new jobs for the area but I just think this site is inappropriate for this use."
He said if planning permission is granted, then conditions should be imposed to lessen the impact of the new store.
A South Gloucestershire Council spokesman said: "The council strongly encourages people to submit comments during the formal 21 day consultation period.
"The council acknowledges that for this application the formal period ended on June 12, and any planning application comments received after the deadline will be considered right up to the point that the application goes to committee for a decision."
Comments
I have never commented on anything like this before but wanted to see how my opinion faired with others....
I believe whatever goes in this area will surely add traffic, I view this space from my home and as a resident I would quite like a Tesco's to go there, if we look at what Tesco's will 'destroy' and we are looking at the co-op, these staff surely would be a great asset to Tesco's with their experience, then other than Gouldings, who I am sure would be able to survive due to the wide range of products they sell, we have a fancy dress shop, hairdressers, estate agents and banks, surely all of these would benefit from the increased number of people in the area.
Regarding the traffic, particularly the lorries would be mostly away from the schools as they are tucked away on the smaller roads, and no child should be running across the main road as not even the cars would stop as it is now. The lorries that currently go in and out of this site do so, including overnight stops, without any of you seemingly even noticing.
Also if Hanham doesn't want Tesco's there I would like to know what they do want? Industrial units will bring no doubt the same sorts of volume and variety of traffic, and houses....well that's a definite no from me as this will have a direct effect on the value of my property. I think Tesco's could make Hanham a more desirable area for those people who would like to live outside the town centre and have easy access to the countryside whilst being able to have direct links to the city centres of Bath and Bristol without the use of cars.
By pinkhallsey5 at 14:20 on 31/07/12
ReportReminds me of the 'anti Tesco' protests in Stokes Croft. Everyone's favourite totalitarian fascist organisation the 'PRSC' used the argument that traffic flow would be blocked by cars parking on double yellow lines. The 'daddy' of the organisation (no names mentioned) failed to mention that he parks his very noticeable van on double yellow lines every day (plenty of photographic evidence to prove this). All these recycled anti Tesco arguments have ever such a faint whiff of desperation and hypocrisy.
By Will_Bristol at 14:37 on 21/06/12
ReportReminds me of the 'anti Tesco' protests in Stokes Croft. Everyone's favourite totalitarian fascist organisation the 'PRSC' used the argument that traffic flow would be blocked by cars parking on double yellow lines. The 'daddy' of the organisation (no names mentioned) failed to mention that he parks his very noticeable van on double yellow lines every day (plenty of photographic evidence to prove this). All these recycled anti Tesco arguments have ever such a faint whiff of desperation and hypocrisy.
By Will_Bristol at 14:35 on 21/06/12
ReportThey will all be using it when it opens......
By Matt1701d at 14:23 on 21/06/12
ReportDon't want a Tescos because it wil cause too much traffic but happy to drive thier children to school, taking any short cut that makes thier life easier even if it indangers other peoples children and then park across people's drive ways. At least Tescos provides a car park, it might be more fun if it didn't because then we could all park across thier driveways.
By MATSTGEORGE at 13:18 on 21/06/12
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