Proposals for a new Tesco in Halfway

[janep1]

I went to the presentation tonight. For anyone who knows the site the store will sit directly below the newest houses built by wimpy taylor and the back will pretty much run along the hedgerow that follows the footpath down the side of Deepwell Estate down towards the trees at the bottom. The front of the store will be carparking and a petrol station so in terms of greatest visual impact it is likely to be worse for those in the new houses that have just been sold those at the bottom of Heathlands facing towards the footpath that runs down that edge and those on Oxclose park way that back onto the site.

The building proposals are not quite as intrusive as could be worse feared as they are single storey but my main outstanding concerns are

 

1) the traffic ( noise, pollution and volume)- the only full entrance will be down the same road as Morrisons so the impact on traffic along rotherham road and oxclose park road will be significant in my view. There is also a bus/taxi road proposed through the site coming out on Deepwell for those who live that site a concern would have to be that it would used as a rat run as some of the others in the area are i.e the one at Halfway Centre. That road runs alongside the planned children's play area

2) The impact of 24 hour trading

 

I also felt in terms of their pitch the preservation of the greenspace is overstated if I have walked the boundary right it will not leave greenspace that can be used for walking as it basically leaves hedgerow and the marshland at the bottom, it would however presumably preserve some of the wildlife in fact as I was walking around the site tonight there was a bat survey being conducted for the ecology report.

Equally their claim in terms of 450 'new' jobs is overstated this includes a range of posts that are small in hours so the number of full time equivalent jobs is much lower it also assumes there is no job loss elsewhere as a direct impact.

I felt the attitude of one of their reps to small businesses in the area said a lot, and contrary to an earlier comment on here there are some, when asked about the impact on the smaller petrol stations on Station Road and that they wouldn't survive he replied 'Well does it really matter' for some probably not for those who own or work there it does.

 

The impression I got was that most people who were there at the same time as I was were quite strongly opposed but I suppose that is to be expected to some extent as those who don't have a strong view probably wouldn't turn up.

 

From a personal point of view I came away thinking it could be worse but I am really worried about the traffic

[Hugh Dallas]

I am not convinced that the link road from Deepwell will be restricted to Bus / Taxi only. I think Tesco only put that to calm people.

I think it will be hard to police and could become a rat run at peak times.

I am also concerened about the fact it is very close to the planned childrens play area.

Kids and traffic don't exactly go well together.

 

I also thought that the older guy answering the questions was rude and arrogant and did not give many helpful answers.

He said that the traffic for a 24 hour supermarket would not be as bad as if the area was housing or light industrial! I smell bull on that one.

 

Also, what's to stop them expanding the store in the future and add an extra storey?

[mary70]

I think its a fantastic idea, there is no wonder that we dont get new businesses around us because there are always do gooders that put objections up and then are the first to complain about no jobs, thats why all the big companies pull out and go elsewhere.

[YouFo666]

Here's some more fuel for your fires Halfway nimby's. What about all them nasty lorries and plant that will be required to supply materials and machinery to build the new Tesco's that will be running up and down Oxclose and all those uncouth builders with their bottoms sticking out leering over your fences and hedgerows Heaven forbid ! Pity the poor children and housewifes that will have to stay in all the time to avoid the innocuous wolf whistles and naughty language..

 

Ill get my coat now shall I

 

To all the idiots that are complaining about the detrimental effect on local wildlife, what do you think all the houses down there were built on ??

 

Ruddy hypocrites...

[Hugh Dallas]

I think its a fantastic idea, there is no wonder that we dont get new businesses around us because there are always do gooders that put objections up and then are the first to complain about no jobs, thats why all the big companies pull out and go elsewhere.

 

It amuses me how ridiculous and uninformed people on this forum are.

Well done mary70

[Mrs Overall]

I think its a fantastic idea, there is no wonder that we dont get new businesses around us because there are always do gooders that put objections up and then are the first to complain about no jobs, thats why all the big companies pull out and go elsewhere.

 

Got to agree with this post...

[hollifer77]

I went along last night and was really disappointed.

 

Many of the local residents were very concerned about the traffic and Tesco's main argument was that it wouldn't be as bad as if light industrial units were built on the land. Anyone who lives in the area and knows Oxclose Park Road and Eckington Way will know that it's a nightmare at peak hours. 500 car parking spaces worth of traffic added to this on a Saturday morning will be a total disaster - it will back out on to the main road. Tesco claim that the 24 hour nature of the supermarket will ease traffic but I think they are kidding themselves. The residents of the Oxclose Estate have enough problems getting on and off the estate now without adding to it. Tesco state that light industrial use would make traffic worse but many of the local residents felt like this would be preferrable to a Tesco because at least there would be quiet times outside of the peak hours.

 

And the new park that is being built will be right next to the proposed new road and in the shadow of a supermarket - not exactly what many had imagined.

 

The proposed green space is laughable. Tesco are planning the store slap bang in the middle of the plot - effectively disturbing the whole lot. The green space they are not developing are the steeply contoured bits around the outside and the badger sett that they seemed disappointed they could not destroy. The wildlife corridor they speak of is a couple of meters wide around the perimeter of the store and not wide enough for any sustainable habitat - I'm sure the local wildlife will be really grateful that you thought of them! Why not develop the store over to one side of the plot and leave a reasonable size plot of green space that is actually usable if you are going to make the claim about protecting the area!

 

When I initally heard it was going to be an eco store then I started to feel better about the development and thought that they might actually have thought about the local environment but there was nothing eco about it.

 

Tesco's main arguments are

 

1. It gives people choice - We have plenty already

2. Gives residents access to a new bus route - We already have good access to plenty of public transport

3. Creates 450 jobs - Not many of these are permanent or full time so it's nowhere as good as it may sound

4. Protecting 6 acres of green space - this is a joke

5. It's better than light industrial or residential development on the same site - many people disagree

 

There was a guy there last night from Sigma Planning to talk people through the new plans - his name was Chris Hough. He was rude, confrontational and upset many of the local residents last night. If Tesco are trying to get the local community on board then they really shouldn't let this guy talk on their behalf - I for one will be making a complaint.

 

It wasn't community engagement it was community enragement.

 

I for one will be making sure the local council know my views and I'm sure I won't be the only one.

[tjdeli]

it saddens me to read so much negative feed back about morrisons. i work there and have had a happy three years so far. its good to have a multiple of choices as regards where you like to shop, but its true that supermarkets have had a detrimental effect on your village shops, even down to the humble cafes. as for the freshness of the produce, well at morrisons we put the customer first. freshness availability service and presentation are drilled into each and everyone of us. the morrisons motto is "the customer is more important than anything else". and that isnt a load of bull said cos i work there..... its fact! as with everything, once it gets cosy things will change and as with all retailers, making a profit is the main aim and tesco's havent become top in retail by giving a damn what joe public thinks. yes the roads will get busier and yes you could end up looking at a 2 tier building in years to come and yes the environment will take a bashing, but things will never change for the better unless people decide to use their voice in the right places and make their opinion known. and lets face it, some people out there just couldnt really give a damn one way or the other!

[Raffles]

I live extremely close to the proposed development, directly behind the new proposed service yard for the store!!!! Having visited the consultation today I am more concerned than ever, particularly at where the new store is to be situated. When asking why the store was to be placed at this point the question seemed a tricky one for them to answer. The gist of the reason behind placing it right up against all the properties is, "Tesco like their customer to be facing the store directly on entering". So in basic terms sod all the poor residents who live directly adjacent to the store. When you look at the plans there appears to be no logical reason as to why the store could not be located behind Lavers, this is already industrial, away from residents, and the ground gently slopes away which would not be as intrusive to the local residents.

As for the arrogant, rude, patronising representative from Sigma Planning, he was still as rude today. He was trying to tell my husband and I that the woodland planting area to the side of our property was still in existence (if a line of trees is deemed as woodland by a planning officer then I'll eat my hat). Basically over the last 2years we have watched the owners of the land strip the woodland planting area to nothing, the evidence is more than visible on Google earth and to make matters worse the uprooted trees are still strewn to the side and bottom of the land. We have visited the council to look at the plans and as far as we can tell the area was to be left and supplemented to act as a buffer to any potential development. This can no longer be the case because the established trees are gone and will not protect from noise and act as a visual screen. The arrogant Sigma representative tried to tell my husband that this area was there and kept persisting, even though we see it every day!!!

We are not totally opposed to the store being built, the issue we have is the location of the building It seems such nonsense to butt it up to all the properties when there is sufficient room to locate it well away.

[dink]

Here's some more fuel for your fires Halfway nimby's. What about all them nasty lorries and plant that will be required to supply materials and machinery to build the new Tesco's that will be running up and down Oxclose and all those uncouth builders with their bottoms sticking out leering over your fences and hedgerows Heaven forbid ! Pity the poor children and housewifes that will have to stay in all the time to avoid the innocuous wolf whistles and naughty language..

 

Ill get my coat now shall I

 

To all the idiots that are complaining about the detrimental effect on local wildlife, what do you think all the houses down there were built on ??

 

Ruddy hypocrites...

 

How dare you try and suggest that they may have made a poor fox or newt homeless to have there house built, its only the rotten evil tesco that will make all the wildlife pack there bags and move over the border to Derbyshire, when Tesco goes ahead im sure the resident's who are in uproar now will be the first down in the early hours when its christmas to get there shopping done before the rush!!