Tesco won't deliver more choice, but more goods

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th Jul 2008

The campaign to stop the opening of two new Tesco Express stores in Whitecross Road and Boulevard in Weston-super-Mare is gathering pace with more than 600 people having signed petitions opposing the stores and dozens more objecting to planning applications on the proposed sites.

Now, Mike Bell, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Weston-super-Mare, has revealed that the new stores will require almost 30 deliveries a week - as many as five a day - with a 30 foot lorry making deliveries taking as long as 45 minutes each to complete.

Mike Bell, the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Weston-super-Mare, who has spoken out against the proposed new stores, said: "These new Tesco Express stores are not about giving us more choice - they are in locations already well served by existing convenience stores and independent traders. But they certainly do seem to be about giving us a lot more deliveries.

"Residents in Whitecross Road, Severn Road and the back of Boulevard including Palmer Street, North Street, Palmer Row and Hopkins Street can look forward to five extra lorries a day. All this extra noise and disruption to provide nothing new to our community.

"There are already Tesco Express stores at Castle Batch, Locking Castle and Oldmixon. Tesco also own the One Stop in Locking Road and of course have their town centre store. How many more shops do they need?

"I am sure that few local residents are against Tesco as such - I know I am not - but when their empire building is about driving out competition and denying us a real choice then it has got to be stopped."

So far petitions signed by more than 600 people have been submitted to North Somerset Council opposing the opening of new Tesco Express stores. Nearly 50 residents have also written letters of objection to the planning applications for the two stores that have been submitted.

Mr Bell's campaign has also received support from Tesco campaigners from as far afield as St Albans and Cambridge. He added: "This is not just an issue for Weston, but for many local communities. Tesco already dominate the supermarket business, now they want to dominate corner shops too. We must fight to retain real choice and stop Weston becoming another 'Tesco town'."

Anyone who wants to keep in touch with the campaign to stop Tesco can visit www.shopweston.org.uk