Longdendale Community Group

Welcome!  This site is to promote the interests of the Group, which are broadly to promote community values within Longdendale.

Our present concern is to oppose the decision of Tameside Council to grant permission for Tesco to build a superstore within Hattersley – east of Stockport Road. Now that the Secretary of State decided not to call in the plans, we are still seeking to find ways of influencing our political leaders. Media coverage of our appeal to the Prime Minister is here. We invite feedback from people who live, work or travel within Longdendale: please email us at: feedback@longdendalecg.org.uk

What is it like to work for Tesco’s? Are you thinking that the promised employment opportunities are too good to miss? This is the experience of Michelle (Stalybridge): "When Tesco came to Stalybridge, I was pleased because it would bring employment.  My husband obtained a job there, but it was not a happy time.  He realized that many of the Tesco employees were on anti-depressants because of the pressure of targets.  My husband decided to leave."

Some links to relevant news

"We will save our ailing high streets" say Tameside council chiefs (Tameside Advertiser, 5 April 2012). "Let's get everyone round a table, identify what our specific problems are and come up with an action plan." However, what they have in mind is not curtailing predatory retailing strategies practiced by some supermarkets, nor improving access to high streets and providing free parking to encourage shoppers, but "pop-up shops for new business owners and farmers markets". Significantly, the centres of Stalybridge, Hyde, Denton and Droylsden are described as "struggling". There was no mention of this in the planning document produced by Tameside when they considered the Hattersley superstore. Instead, they found it significant that other supermarkets in adjacent centres were "overtrading". The retail analysis was only about supermarket trading!

No to store plans. "Hadfield traders are flying the flag to tell supermarket giants Tesco they don't want them in their town." From the Glossop Chronicle, 10 May 2012, page 2.

Will Hadfield be turned into a "ghost town"? A comunity group in Hadfield want to stop Tesco opening a store in their village. Knockout presenter Stuart Hall says to councillors: "Your duty is to listen to the people you represent and bring their wishes to fruition." The Advertiser report is here.

Tesco's trading figures and strategic direction in 2012. The media has picked up on numerous points related to Tesco's recent profit warning. For comments on these and their relevance to the Hattersley superstore, go here.

The uncertain future of small retailers within Tameside. Triggered by comments from Councillor John Taylor, letters in the 12 January 2012 issues of The Advertiser and the Tameside Reporter included comments from Roger Bamford on the issue of access (Internet not to blame, The yellow peril! ), and concerns from David Tyler about the lack of a strategy for supporting small retailers (Fears for our shops ).

Jam from Tesco (Tameside Reporter, 22 December 2011) and Our worries were ignored (The Advertiser, 22 December 2011). Roger Bamford gets stuck in traffic, along with many other Longdendale residents, and muses on the problem of our elected representatives ignoring the community. Remember the Council's words: "The works will necessitate temporary signals at some point but this will be at off-peak periods or weekends". Apparently, the week before Christmas counts as an "off-peak period"!

A great loss to the town (The Advertiser, 15 December 2011). Roger Bamford asks some probing questions about the planned closure of the Ashton M&S, with M&S wanting to relocate to an out-of-town location beside the lucrative Sainsbury spot. With the decline of Town Centres in the national media, Tameside residents deserve to know what their councillors are doing in this area.

Motorists face traffic nightmare (Glossop Chronicle, 8 December 2011, page 8). Two letters with two important questions: the first is whether anyone can justify the claim for robustness of the Transport Assessment (none of our objections to its methodology have received a response); the second questions the wisdom of Tameside Council in shifting disruptions to traffic flow to evenings and weekends.

Roadwork traffic chaos (Glossop Chronicle, 1 December 2011, page 4). It is very odd that a store that wants our custom should treat motorists with such indifference.

Health risk query (Glossop Chronicle, 1 December 2011, page 8). Sheena Tyler asks for clarification of Cllr Fitzpatrick's comment that the power line health risks at the Tesco site were "fully dealt with at the planning stage".

Cautionary Advice (Glossop Chronicle, 10 November 2011). Michael Byrne explains why Tameside Council should have adopted a precautionary approach and implemented a moratorium on building close to power lines.

Fears over new superstore site (Glossop Chronicle, 3rd November 2011). David Jones reports on traffic concerns and health risks from power lines. The letter from Roger Bamford in the Reporter is here. The comments of Councillor Fitzpatrick appear to be ignoring work on health risks (e.g. here and here) that have been published in recent years. We cannot find any evidence that the local authority considered the power lines in the light of this new information. "Some local planning authorities have included policies in their development plan documents which state that, when considering new development, the effect of overhead lines on amenity should be taken into account. National Grid believes that this is an appropriate approach." (Source here)

Saying No to Tesco (The Advertiser, 6 October 2011) A letter from Mark Alix saying that this planning decision has been against the wider interests of the local community. A similar letter, with the title Fight will continue appeared in The Glossop Chronicle.

A survey of the views of the people of Hattersley (23 June 2011) An edited version appeared in the Glossop Chronicle for 23 June, page 4, but the edits do not convey the message in our press release. The original version is given here online.

Letter: HUB-ble-bubble (23 June 2011) Questions for Tameside MBC from a concerned resident.

Hattersley is all 'TES'GO' (Tameside Reporter, 4th November 2010) (Reports the outcome of the appeal launched by the Longdendale Community Group)

Tameside Press Release announcing the decision of the Secretary of State (3rd November 2010)

Jonathan Reynolds speaks about Tesco - at last - and calls traffic concerns a 'Red Herring' (includes audio and full transcript of the interview with Alan Beswick)

Tesco Values: the role of the Highways Agency in the Hattersley Tesco by kirtlegreen (No Mottram Bypass, 27th November 2010)

3,000 Petition against Tesco (Glossop Chronicle, 23 December 2010)

The Tesco Development proposals

A report worth reading for background: High Street Britain: 2015 All Party Parliamentary Small Shops Group (2006). Excerpt re Local economies: This demonstrates that local shops and retail business networks form an important part of many local economies. A Friends of the Earth study of local food schemes found that on average just over 50% of business turnover was returned and invested back into the local economy. Excerpt re Loss of diversity: One community reported: “Prior to Tesco, Cupar had 4 petrol stations – now we have only the one, at Tesco. Prior to Tesco we had 5 bakers –now we have 3. Prior to Tesco we had 3 butchers - now we have 1. Etc… Etc…”

Artist’s impression of the proposed Tesco store.

Excerpt re Spiral of decline: Scenarios in which the traditional shopping areas become abandoned [. . .] will become increasingly commonplace. [. . .] This is likely to lead to a ‘spiral of decline’, as illustrated in the diagram. The reduction in local shopping facilities and associated environmental decline (vacant/boarded up premises; disjointed/sprawling retail area; and so on) could trigger population losses – whilst good quality local shopping facilities can ‘sell’ housing in an area, turning it into a desirable place to live and creating distinctiveness, the converse can occur if core facilities are missing.

An inaugural meeting was held on 25 September at Mottram Community Centre (15:00-16:30).  About 100 people attended and heard three presentations.  It was obvious from the discussion and from various contributions that people are very concerned and want something done. Subsequently, a working group has been formed.

Reports

The planning application.

CABE evaluation of the Tesco application
"In light of the concerns raised, we find very little to support within this application and therefore, as the application currently stands, we suggest that it is not given planning permission. Redeveloping this prominent site brings a unique opportunity to create a new piece of town that brings many benefits to its residents. It is extremely disappointing that this opportunity has been lost to a development such as this. We recommend that a fundamental re-think is given to the development and in particular to the site layout."

Tesco's Hattersley plans "extremely disappointing" says CABE
By David Doyle, Propertyweek.com, 20 August 2010.

Links re traffic congestion - the Tesco Extra development is at the "most congested" road in Manchester.

Transport Secretary gives the go-ahead to 24 New Schemes and announces over £600M of further funding (but nothing here about the Bypass!)

Manchester's most congested roads revealed in study (BBC News, 3 November 2010) "The top ten most congested roads in Gtr Manchester as follows: 1. M67 - Mottram in Longdendale junction (A57) 2. [. . .]"

Bypass Battle Must Continue by David Jones (Glossop Chronicle, 11 November 2010)
Lord Pendry speaks out on the bypass cut (No Mottram Bypass, 13 November 2010) “Traffic has increased and it will get even worse in this area when Tesco open their supermarket in Hattersley.”

Bingham's Adjournment Debate in the House of Commons (21 Dec 2010) [video]
Adjournment Debate: Funding for highways and the Mottram Tintwistle Bypass Andrew Bingham: "The relative serenity in the Chamber tonight is something that many of my constituents living adjacent to the A57 and A628 in Glossop and Tintwistle crave. Every day, about 36,000 commuting cars and heavy lorries drive through the two places, creating severe traffic jams and pollution on those two trunk roads. They are also ruining some stunning local landscapes and shaking parts of the village of Tintwistle to their very foundations. This is also having a knock-on effect as the congestion forces many other vehicles on to small back roads through tiny villages such as Charlesworth, pushing congestion and traffic dangers into a wider area. [. . .] For almost 50 years, they have put up with the congestion and the rumbling of around 4,000 heavy goods vehicles a day pounding through their villages and past their schools."

Some informative links regarding the influence of supermarkets on local economies and the strategies adopted by Tesco to expand its retail network:

Let's Clean Up Fashion - Tesco
Reports that in 2010, there is no clear progress towards the payment of living wages

Supermarkets are not saviours of community by James Lowman (The Guardian, 8 June 2010). "Local enterprises with local knowledge are best placed to serve deprived communities and should be incentivised to do so."

Supermarkets don't regenerate communities – they hoover money out by Andrew Simms (The Guardian, 8 June 2010). "But evidence from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation of a Tesco-led regeneration scheme in Leeds concluded that it was disastrous for the local economy and destroyed the existing retail base."

Is the Burnage Tesco driving local traders out of business?

Reimagining the High Street (2010) [pdf]

Clone Town Britain (2005) [pdf]

Ghost Town Britain (2002) [pdf]

Revealed: Salford council's secret £4m land deal for new Tesco store (Manchester Evening News, 9th November 2010)

Move towards Tesco-towns 'puts communities at risk' by Robert Booth (The Guardian, Monday 22nd November 2010)

Tesco builds £7m police station - in return for new giant superstore, by Jo Macfarlane (Daily Mail, 25th December 2010)

Longdendale Community Links

Broadbottom Community Association

Friends of Broadbottom Station

Hattersley and Mottram Community Media

Most recent update: 5 January 2011

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