Tesco: Review readers have spoken
8:13am Wednesday 19th March 2008
WE asked you to have your say and, as usual, our readers did not disappoint us.
The result of our poll sends a clear message to supermarket giant Tesco: "You're not wanted in London Road." (See full list below).
Our phonelines did not stop ringing and our website went into overdrive with the vast majority of Review readers taking a defiant stand against Tesco.
When we contacted Tesco with our findings, corporate affairs manager Michael Kissman said: "As the Review has already reported, independent research not commissioned by Tesco has shown a majority of people are either in favour or neutral about our proposals.
"Planning applications are not decided on the basis of phone calls, they are based on planning law and technical reports, and decided by elected councillors.
"A phone-in is a self-selecting sample of people who choose to phone up."
But Simon Hepburn of the Stop Tesco campaign said: "This shows what the people of St Albans really think about the proposed Tesco store.
"The figures speak for themselvse.
"Tesco can spin it however it wants but people don't want it.
"Look at the comments on the Review's website - people say again and again it will cause traffic and pollution, and something else should be done with that site."
Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington added: "I am not at all surprised. Everywhere I go, not just in the London Road area, the vast majority of people say it is the wrong place - a supermarket in that location is not going to bring anything but problems.
"There are a very small number of people who are pro, because they think it will bring jobs.
"But it will cost jobs, in the market and the smaller shops. People are very, very opposed."
TOTAL: 1,607 votes
Yes: 267 (16.6 per cent)
No: 1,340 (83.4 per cent)
Phone vote: 742 votes
Yes: 187 (25.2 per cent)
No: 555 (74.8 per cent)
Internet: 472 votes
Yes: 35 (7.4 per cent)
No: 437 (92.6 per cent)
Email: 274 votes
Yes: 24 (8.9 per cent)
No: 250 (91.2 per cent)
Texts: 119 votes
Yes: 21 (17.6 per cent)
No: 98 (82.4 per cent)
Your Say YourSt Albans
Bob, St Albans says...
3:03pm Wed 19 Mar 08
The Review's editorial position is quite interesting considering the paper is owned by a US conglomorate and its hugely profitable UK subsidiary Newsquest. Free papers survive and make their profits through advertising; grocery chains spend billions on promoting their stores and products. A new Tesco store in St Albans would be a valuable source of advertising revenue for the Newsquest Group.
Isn't the Review therefore biting the hand that feeds it?
Should we prepare for the editorial opposition to 'soften' as the application moves through the planning process?
Bob Sanderson, St Albans says...
3:41pm Wed 19 Mar 08
Methinks this whole debate has been hijacked by the vocal minority.
Stephen, Lurking on the borders says...
4:03pm Wed 19 Mar 08
Danny, st albans says...
4:45pm Wed 19 Mar 08
David, St. Albans says...
6:12pm Wed 19 Mar 08
Liz, St Albans says...
8:07pm Wed 19 Mar 08
David wrote:The reason the area is a tip is because Tesco (who own the property) have allowed it to become that way.
St. Albans is a city of 63 thousand - this poll is hardly conclusive. Tesco will add a lot more to that are of London Road - it's a tip at the moment and like Morissons has done with fleetville, Tesco will rejuvenate an area in desperate need of attention. Regardless of Tesco being built or not, Traffic has and always will be a problem, this isn't a problem because of a Tesco.
As for the traffic, it is bad now. A supermarket of that size (no matter who owns it) will not improve matters, will it!
Simon, St Albans (overlooking the Eversheds site) says...
10:11pm Wed 19 Mar 08
Perhaps the Review's advertising people have realised that a vibrant city centre with lots of independent businesses will spend more on advertising than one Tesco, which will piggy-back on central TV and direct mail spend and spend less in local papers!
As for the debate over the various polls, the fact is that the people who live nearest to the site should surely have more say - people who pop into the City Centre to vote from the north of the city probably won't have a strong opinion on the Tesco plan - those of us who live next door will! And will Tesco please let us know how a poll asking for a view on a scale of 1-100 can generate a 'neutral result'!
Pete, St Albans says...
10:34pm Wed 19 Mar 08
David wrote:Of course a poll like this isn't conclusive, but along with the 5000+ signatures against the development, gives a pretty good indication of people's feeling about the store. We already have two similar stores within a mile so why another here. Any store of this size here would increase traffic by 70% to keep its car park full. If you drive on London road you'll have an idea how bad that could be.
St. Albans is a city of 63 thousand - this poll is hardly conclusive. Tesco will add a lot more to that are of London Road - it\'s a tip at the moment and like Morissons has done with fleetville, Tesco will rejuvenate an area in desperate need of attention. Regardless of Tesco being built or not, Traffic has and always will be a problem, this isn\'t a problem because of a Tesco.
Tesco have ruined London Rd so can take no credit for restoring it!! And certainly not at the cost of permanent traffic jams!
Pete M, St Albans says...
10:45pm Wed 19 Mar 08
Bob Sanderson wrote:Which planet does Bos live on? In other places Tesco have built a store (or several) and destroyed local shops so there is no alternative for people. People 'wanting' it isn't the question.
Does anybody in their right mind think that Tesco would build a stor if nobody wanted it??
Methinks this whole debate has been hijacked by the vocal minority.
However, this debate is not about Tesco but about what should happen on the Evershed's site to benefit St Albans as a whole. It is definitely a bad place for a supermarket attracting car traffic.
Tesco seems to be the vocal minority trying to hijack the debate at present!
Pete
John, Jersey Farm, St Albans says...
2:31pm Fri 21 Mar 08
The independent research that TESCO refer to is a bit strange as nobody paid or asked for the research to be conducted, so how does it make any money???
Also it's the only survey that found the complete opposite of all the others. Something smells a bit fishy!
Other areas like St Albans have stopped Tesco from building but it has taken a lot of time & effort. So if you don't want massive traffic congestion and total gridlock during xmas we will all need to keep the pressure on TESCO and our local council to stop this unwanted store on London Road.
Take a look at the www.stoptesco.com website for more info.
Your sayYourSt Albans
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Liz, St Albans says...
9:47am Wed 19 Mar 08
Mr Kissman is right when he says that planning applications are decided by elected Councillors. I would hope that the relevant local Councillors take heed of the wishes of the local electorate.