Tesco superstore bid divides community (From Gazette & Herald)

Tesco superstore bid divides community

9:40am Wednesday 16th November 2011 in Letters

IN response to your front page article on November 2, I hope your readers don’t get the impression that all residents in the Kirkbymoorside area want a Tesco.

I certainly don’t, as I believe a supermarket on the proposed site on the outskirts will only take trade away from the town, not bring shoppers into it.

Those coming to Tesco will mostly arrive by car and will park at Tesco, do all their shopping in Tesco, and leave again.

They will not then go up to the street to buy fresh fruit, newspapers, bacon, bread or toiletries from our excellent Market Place shops, and this will lead in the long term to a degeneration of the network of local traders who provide a valuable service here.

A lucky few locals might benefit from the jobs which a new supermarket creates, but this will be partly offset by the loss of other jobs in shops, and the money spent in Tesco will not otherwise benefit the local area.

The effect this has on the local community may not be seen immediately, but longer term it certainly will.

Let’s not pretend Tesco is planning a store at Kirkbymoorside for our benefit, or that they are not intending to take whatever trade they can from wherever they can.

Its long-term plan is to expand its store network and increase their range of products until the consumer has no choice left except to buy everything under one roof – its own.

MARTIN WATTS, Kirkbymoorside