Residents near the Ox Pub recently got a letter from Tesco saying
Dear Neighbour
We have taken over the run down Ox public house and are going to transform this premises into a small Tesco Express. We do not need to apply for planning permission to change a pub into a small convenience store but we will be applying for planning permission to change the elevation and add some new signs.
Yours Sincerely.
Tesco
Emails to the new neighbour can go to carol.leslie@uk.tesco.com.
Did the proprietor of best one also receive this letter I wonder?
You are truly blessed in Abingdon! A mini Tesco to save you the bother of going to the big Tesco! What will they give you next?
Our local Express in the New Forest has a few disinterested shelf stackers and moppers leaving everyone to use the infernal DIY tills and the kids and boy-racers to congregate outside…. Mind you the Ox used to run a tuck shop for the Convent boarders back in the 80’s, but a better class of loiterer perhaps?
I couls summarise this letter even further than Backstreeter has tactfully done but it would spoil the ambience of this blog I think. Bless them and all who sail in the good ship Tesco, eh?
Given that … ‘A large percentage of our customers come from within 500 metres of the store’ … there would seem to be very little need for signage and the like to tell people it is there and promote offers.
seems very reasonable – but presumably objectors will decide to simply ignore this friendly approach.
Indeed, if ‘A large percentage of our customers come from within 500 metres of the store’ , then it shouldnt be hard for the objectors to persuade them to boycott the store and use the ‘one stop’ instead.
I wonder what will happen in reality…
I do love you CCC, Abingdon’s very own apologist in chief for multinational corporations, are you real or a figment of some Tesco PR clone? ‘Friendly approach’ – a bit like the big kid in the playground telling you he’ll only flush your head down the loo every other day, ooh thank you sir, the iron fist in a shoddy PR glove, this letter is just disingenuous meaningless phrases – ‘a large % of our customers.. 500 metres… many of whom walk or cycle’ – then why a big car park? What % exactly, certainly not a majority obvoiusly otherwise they’d say so. So most people will drive to the store from further afield – more traffic. A small convenience store meaning less deliveries than a supermarket? Great, only ‘3-5’ extra lorries then, 3-5 lorries that wouldn’t be on the Oxford Road at all hours if Tesco hadn’t opened. ‘Shop locally’ – how green, sounds like Local Roots has been reborn! And just for you, for your convenience, your choice – because as the letter makes clear their aim is only a choice between their express or their supermarket.
And yes we know what will happen in reality Anon Coward (great name) don’t we? Great big multinational will put all it’s resources in to smash any opposition, discount as only it and the other big-four monopoly can do, and bully it’s way into another street, increase it’s stanglehold on your life. You can’t even burn the bugger out, look at Bristol, (not that I’d ever condone doing something as heinously illegal) as the full force of the law will be present against anybody who dares reclaim their streets.
And no I won’t be buying shares and voting or taking the 30 pieces of silver because I’m poor and don’t have the money to make a difference. I’m really glad your mum (I think it was, CCC?) had a good time and is looked after by Tesco, I really do, but hey, give people some credit for thinking through the fog of spin, eh?
I
tsk. tescos cannot even type straight. 🙂
Can I just clarify, would people be just as against it if it was going to be a Sainsbury’s Local or a Waitrose? Or is it just because its the big bad wolf that is Tesco?
Personally I don’t have a problem with it being a tesco (although I know others do), my issue is that there are already 5 very similar stores in very close proximity – unfortunately that’s not something that is a grounds for declining planning.
I’d like to see a Lidl – that would add some variety.
we need a harrods.
those of us who are not sponging dolescum in abingdon have nowhere to go 🙂
Steve, I think it’s any of the big four that people would object to, their very saccharine mega-buck ‘convenience’ drives down any competition and is a sadly double-edged sword of this and the faceless ‘Tesco-town’ that small-medium towns are prey to. Tesco just happens to be the largest, with the biggest profile and arrogance. There’s very little a small-town can do to decline their presence even if they need planning permission, which they don’t generally.
Lidl or Harrods would make a change, promoting at least some sort of diversity, if not locality.
Didn’t realise Abingdon had dolescum, never used to, must be all those out of work small shopkeepers and pub landlords 🙂
I think a Lidl, or an Aldi would be positively bad, and any supermarket at all… will be a real shame.
Just out of interest, how many of the towns 32,000ish people came to the protest against this Tesco? i’m not saying it’s not terrible that the Best-One store will probably close, But i really don’t think the majority of people in Abingdon really care that much.
Amy; I think it was about 25. Maybe 25 and a half including my 1yr old.
Generally I think you are right. Most people don’t care. I’m not saying that that is right, or wrong, or good, or bad. Personally, I think if people have an opinion let them air it. If the majority say nothing and some have an objection then no one is shouting anything…except the “nay-sayers”. Fair enough. If people don’t care – and I agree with you, they probbaly don’t, then we can not say with any certainty that they DO want something…or indeed if they DON’t want something. If, in this instance there IS a PRO Tesco (or whoever) group….I’m happy to hear their point of view.
Personally, I’m fairly set against any ‘metro’ supermarkets, and would happily curb supermarkets in general. And that certainly means I am against a Town centre supermarket as the ‘anchor’ of the Charter development. Unfortunately however…we’re gonna have a large supermarket in the middle of town, we’re going to have a clone “high street” and Abingdon will exist into the next decade.
I just had higher hopes and will forever feel that shortsightedness will rob Abingdon-on-Thames…and US of the town we deserve.
Of course, if I’m in a minority, it’s for those that DO want it to stand up and be counted…
(Amy – apologies, this isn’t aimed at you…it’s just another general rant of mine at the state of things and the state of things to come)
Tesco have applied for a new premises licence to sell
alcohol at the Ox , sorry I mean Tesco, Oxford Road, Abingdon. – Abingdon Herald Sept 14th.
Strange I’ve not been able to find anything about it on the VOWHDC councils web site under licensing !
Representations have to be made by October 4th
Will they be selling cask conditioned beer – do hope so.