Interesting letters...

The 2 newly posted letters, addressed to Edward Baker at Mendip D.C Planning Dept, and cc. to Canynge Bicknell, Peter Evans Partnership, and Beachcroft LLP, are just 2 of a number of letters of objection to the current Tesco application. These 2 are probably the most interesting and informative.

As viewers of the letters will quickly realise, MDC and its Planning Dept have known since February that there is no question whatsoever that the Tesco application goes against national and local planning policies and therefore, should permission be granted by MDC, the issue will be 'called-in' again by the Secretary of State, directly because it raises "issues of more than local concern".

Some viewers may be asking questions as to why it is that some of Glastonbury's local councillors are still attempting to fool the local population by supporting the Tesco application and pretending that they have any real say in the matter! Surely enough time and money has been wasted on this issue? Why is is that some local politicians are attempting to foist a plan upon Glastonbury that so clearly goes against national and local planning policies? Why are local councillors giving any support to such a plan when it is a cynical attempt to avoid clearly laid out policies designed to protect roads and buildings, secure proper access for local people, and ensure that industrial and retail areas are kept distinct? When Tesco is clearly trying to avoid using Wirral Park Road retail access, and the cost of crossing the 'Ransom Strip' along the front of the site, thereby flouting local planning policies, why do councillors support the application at all?
As is obvious, Tesco altered their plan (making the building a bit smaller) and reapplied because they have the impression that their plan will be accepted by MDC. Some folk may want to ask 'who' gave Tesco that impression and why!

Surely, at a time of pending local elections, local representatives need to be asked such questions, so that we can ensure that any elected official is indeed acting in the local interest?

An even more interesting letter!

Interesting letter

Tesco is applying pressure!

It seems that Tesco will now be embarking on high pressure lobbying of Glastonbury ward councillors and the Mendip Planning Committee to try and force through their development proposals.
What they wish to achieve is actually contrary to planning rules, as they wish to get their proposals waved through on the nod as a modification of their existing plan, when the rules clearly state that they must make a new submission which would be rejected. They must be stopped from doing this.
If they are allowed to get away with it the consequences will be catastrophic for Glastonbury. We will be stuck with an unworkable road system (as clearly explained in previous posts and on GWells), and a Tesco store with subsidiary Tesco outlets all orientated towards Street and away from Glastonbury with all the concomitant negative impacts to Glastonbury town centre that that would engender !
We already know that that site will be developed as a retail outlet and that the development may even be a Tesco; if it is, let's make sure that we can at least retain the ability to determine the level of the impact that such a project will have on us !
We need to make it absolutely clear to our councillors that they will never be returned again if they betray the town and people they represent by selling out to Tesco. The only argument that they had for doing so was that a failure to concede to Tesco would see Butler and Avalon Plastics quit Glastonbury; that is no longer the case as he has already received his £6,750,000 pay off.....a full £2,500,000 more than the original assessment of the site's worth!

So yet again Tesco is revealed as a bunch of cheats who prefer to shirk the planning process and official local and national planning policies, by imposing retail access through an industrial estate and along roads that cannot take retail traffic (Beckery Rd/Beckery New Road and Dyehouse Lane), and all because they are too mean to pay for access via Wirral Park Road and cross the current ransom strip.

Shame on the councillors who support Tesco! They are a disgrace to their oath of office and to their claim to be appointed to administer public funds in any way whatsoever!

Time is now crucial ! The end game will be played out between now and early April. If we make enough effort we can win this!

One last push !

More time to send comments!

Turns out that there is until the 10th February to send in comments and objections. There was some confusion about the deadline as the result of dates given on the Mendip D.C website.

Please see the previous message for details.

Posted on Glastonbury Noticeboard

Tesco application - we still have time to object!

I spoke to Ed Baker, the Mendip planning officer yesterday afternoon (Monday). He said the recent (resubmitted) application from Tesco to build its superstore on the site of Avalon Plastics had only technically been received on Thursday January 20th. Once again, there seems to be a lot of confusion about this application (not surprisingly) , but according to him we now have until the 10th February to submit letters opposing the new store (ie three weeks from the submission of the application) .

So... please write to Edward.Baker@mendip.gov.uk or customerservices@mendip.gov.uk quoting ref. 2010/2821 - the planning application no.

There is a sample letter on the Tesconbury blogsite. If you want extra information, the document to look at is on the national Department of Communities website. Their planning document PPS4 sets out new planning guidelines ( a couple of years old) which local councils are supposed to follow.

Would anyone like to help organise a petition? This has been done in other towns facing the same (repeated) challenge.

best

Philippa Glasson

If not letter then by email?

If you can't send your objection and comments by letter in time today, try emailing them at:

info@mendip.gov.uk

You can send the same letter or adapted to your own points and comments, as soon as is possible, preferably by close of business on the Tuesday 19th (tomorrow!).