TESCO STORE PLANS DEBATED

Some of the interested members of the public listening to the discussions last night in the Angel Suite. Among them is Andrew Percy (centre), the Brigg and Goole MP. DOUBLE CLICK FOR A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PIC.

Talks with North Lincolnshire highways officials are now being requested over Tesco's planning application seeking the go-ahead to build a much bigger, brand new store near Brigg town centre, creating 100 new jobs and selling a wider range of items.
Brigg Town Council - first step in the democratic planning process - wants to know what highway experts think. For during a debate in the Angel Suite last night, reservations were voiced about future traffic flows along the A18 (Barnard Avenue) and Cary Lane.
Should North Lincolnshire highways staff agree to such a meeting, it will not be held in public. Brigg Town Council will then reconvene in a few weeks to consider its final response to the Tesco application.
However, it should be stressed that only North Lincolnshire Council, as the planning authority, has the power to say Yes or No to the store giant's multi-million pound scheme.
Couns Jane Kitching and Jenny Bell failed to win sufficient support among fellow town councillors when proposing an objection to the Tesco planning application. Their motion cited, as grounds, highway safety, traffic generation, access, noise and disturbance and "the overbearing nature of the proposal."
Stressing she was "speaking from the heart" about the issue, Coun Bell said: "I think we should reject this straight away."
Coun Mike Campion noted that many people in the town clearly had business concerns, but reminded councillors that, when opposing any planning application, "we have to have proper reasons for doing so."
The voting in favour of meeting highways staff, rather than lodging an objection to the scheme, was 13-3.
Prior to town councillors deciding that course of action, Town Mayor Coun Ben Nobbs chaired a public session during which interested members of the public had the opportunity to make their views known and question Tesco's representative, Matt Magee, Manchester-based regional corporate affairs manager. The Town Mayor stressed: "This is a very, very important application."
Mr Magee said Tesco's new store would be good for Brigg - a major investment which would "claw back leakage in trade" currently lost through local people choosing to shop in Scunthorpe and even Laceby, near Grimsby. Tesco was anticipating attracting thousands of extra customers, of which it was estimated 50 per cent, or more, would go into the town centre while visiting the bigger Brigg store. He forecast: "We will see more people in the high street in Brigg." Replying to concerns about traffic flow, he stressed Tesco had undertaken research and was "confident in highways matters."
The public forum raised a wide range of issues, including suggestions that a big Tesco store, with cafe, would harm some existing small businesses, and a claim that the new store would be "a concrete monstrosity." Neighbouring Riverside Surgery, Barnard Avenue, was represented with questions over parking, access and even flooding.
Electing to sit in the public gallery, Andrew Percy, the Brigg and Goole MP, asked two questions of Tesco's representative, relating to a shopping survey undertaken by the firm and to the proposed cafe.
The Town Mayor was presented with an 800-signature petition "predominantly objecting" to Tesco's expansion plans. The firm, in turn, pointed to hundreds of local supporters for its new store and additional employment, following public consultation.
As Lidl's plans for its new store off Atherton Way were only received by the Town Council a few hours ahead of the public debate, councillors agreed to discuss that firm's application in detail in a few weeks. Spokesman Philip Atkinson, development executive - property, said they were keen to replace the existing store, acquired from Safeway, with a brand new "larger, brighter, fresher" one, built on a long-derelict site. "We are committed to the town," he stressed. On the question of additional jobs, Mr Atkinson said that would depend on store turnover.
The Town Mayor made it clear that anyone interested in viewing the Tesco and Lidl applications can do so online through North Lincolnshire Council's website (planning portal section). Pointing to a cardboard box on a nearby table, he said the Town Council was in possession of a printed set of the papers which the public could make arrangements to view in the office.
Meanwhile, North Lincolnshire Council is now collecting people's comments on both sets of store plans. These can be submitted in writing to the unitary authority or posted online, through the planning section of the website
NORTH LINCS COUNCIL
NF adds: It was a very long and very thorough discussion and well attended. This was not a case when apathy reigned supreme in Brigg. Good points were raised by the public and councillors, and the managers from Tesco and Lidl gave some informative answers. The idea of seeking to gain further information from professional highway experts at North Lincolnshire Council is a sound one, traffic congestion being a concern voiced at various points last night. And finally, just to make it absolutely clear, Brigg Town Council, when it considers the issue again, will NOT have the power to decide the application. That rests with North Lincolnshire Council's planning committee.

Town councillors during the debate.

Town Mayor Coun Ben Nobbs (centre) addressing the public at the beginning of the discussion. Extreme right, making notes, is Lidl's Philip Atkinson; second right, Matt Magee, representing Tesco. Also pictured are, from the left, Couns Nigel Sherwood and John Berry, Brigg area representatives on North Lincolnshire Council; Alison Hannath, Assistant Town Clerk, and Jeanette Woollard, Town Clerk.