New Tesco superstore brings mixed reaction from Romsey residents

2:08pm Tuesday 24th July 2012 in Romsey Photograph of the Author By Emma Streatfield, Senior Reporter

An artist’s impression of the proposed Tesco store at Romsey An artist’s impression of the proposed Tesco store at Romsey

PLANS for a controversial new multimillion pound supermarket bringing 200 jobs to a historic Hampshire town have gone on show.

Nearly 1,000 residents attended a public exhibition of the new store Tesco wants to build on the Broadlands Estate.

While some residents condemned the plans as a “death knell” for Romsey ’s shopping centre, others praised the project. Tesco said it will create 200 jobs.

Tesco wants to build on a six-acre site known as Fairground Field on the estate owned by Lord Brabourne, the late Lord Mountbatten’s grandson.

Its plans include a 400-space car park in front of the store with three hours of free parking, which will also be open to non-customers.

There will be trees planted to screen the site from Broadlands House.Outside the exhibition, campaigners collected 137 signatures for a petition against the store in three hours.

One of them, Vincent Boote, vowed: “We’re not going to let this happen because if this happens it will destroy the small shopkeepers in Romsey, it will create traffic congestion and it’s not needed.”

Opinions ranged from those in favour of the store, who thought it would bring cheaper goods and competition, to those strongly opposed who argued that it would cause congestion and damage the character and trade of the town.

Simon Petar, regional corporate affairs manager for Tesco, said that research showed 50 per cent of shoppers go out of Romsey for their food shop and the supermarket would increase footfall to the town, helping independent retailers.

He said Tesco were reassured that the road was capable of coping with the predicted traffic.

He added the store was a bespoke design to be sympathetic with the surroundings.

Tesco aims to submit a planning application to Test Valley Borough Council in September.

Comments(25)

Georgem says...
2:24pm Tue 24 Jul 12

Not seeing a problem with this one. If it's not needed, then obviously nobody will shop there, and the local stores won't be affected.

Although, as the story mentions, research shows that 50% of shoppers go out of Romsey for food shopping, which suggests there might actually be a need for it after all, and that local trade won't be affected.

I'm all for opposing this rash of Tescos opening in every vacant building they can get their hands on, but sometimes, they simply make sense.

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Walter K says...
2:39pm Tue 24 Jul 12

The research may also suggest that the local shops rely on the 50% that don't go "out of town". With Tesco on the doorstep the impact may be too much for some to handle. If it does get the green light, I hope the only business adversely affected is Longs Fruit & Veg.
http://www.romseyadv
ertiser.co.uk/archiv
e/2010/08/13/Salisbu
ry+News+(salisbury_n
ews)/8332091.Well_kn
own_grocer_distribut
ed_vile_images/

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solents says...
3:30pm Tue 24 Jul 12

Walter K wrote:
The research may also suggest that the local shops rely on the 50% that don't go "out of town". With Tesco on the doorstep the impact may be too much for some to handle. If it does get the green light, I hope the only business adversely affected is Longs Fruit & Veg.
http://www.romseyadv

ertiser.co.uk/archiv

e/2010/08/13/Salisbu

ry+News+(salisbury_n

ews)/8332091.Well_kn

own_grocer_distribut

ed_vile_images/
That report highlights the fact that a lot of staff within the business would be adversely affected if the accused went to prison. Your statement condemns them all once more. You might want to have a re-think as there are probably a lot of innocent staff who could be looking for work if it does go bust.

On a different note, if 50 percent of the population of Romsey go out of town for food shopping, how many use the existing Waitrose just off the centre, plus there is an Aldi store too. . .it doesn't leave much of a percentage for the existing town centre shops already. ..........hmmm

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romseykev says...
3:30pm Tue 24 Jul 12

Romsey needs a 'superstore' be it tesco or another. Loads of new houses are being built. waitrose cannot cope, it is too small and generally too expensive in my opinion. Its car park is too small. Romsey clogs up in Alma road most days. I use all the local shops but leave Romsey to go to ASDA or Morrisons to do main food shop. Romsey needs employment and good value for it's residents.

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media8ter says...
3:37pm Tue 24 Jul 12

There may be a need for a medium sized food based supermarket in Romsey, especially if TVBC build lots of new houses but IMO it is being built in the wrong place. Build it on broadlands estate and I see it as an out of town complex and and it will impact on the local shops, built within the town centre and it will boost trade and footfall into the town. Broadlands is a step too far and I can't see people visiting Romsey after filling their car with perishable grocery items. So as far as my opinion goes, I'm not anti tesco nor am I oppossed to any supermarket coming to the town but I am very anti where they are proposing it goes. Find me any other market town where Tesco's has gone and improved the town, the consumer might think this is a good idea but I have yet to find a retailer who supports it. And people need to realise that Romseys shops are full of independent retailers not chains like most other towns, respect what you have got or expect the town shops to change to MORE charity shops.

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Walter K says...
3:44pm Tue 24 Jul 12

solents - if Longs does go because of Tesco (and I sincerely hope it does btw), 200 hundred jobs will be created a 2 minute walk away!

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BenjiWinsor says...
4:42pm Tue 24 Jul 12

Yay! Romsey so needs this!

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Condor Man says...
5:28pm Tue 24 Jul 12

Romsey only has a Waitrose and Aldi so a Tesco is probably long overdue

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Walter K says...
5:32pm Tue 24 Jul 12

Also has a CO-OP in The Hundred.

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IronLady2010 says...
6:16pm Tue 24 Jul 12

Asda would be better. Tesco is poor quality and far more expensive.

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anderoo says...
7:20pm Tue 24 Jul 12

Its about time that one of the major supermarkets were allowed to open in Romsey. Having lived in the town for over 30 years, to those who think it will be the death knell, im sorry but that happened years ago when the likes of Waitrose and Bradbeers put a block on a Tesco store being built on a small corner of Broadlands. Waitrose is the most expensive of the 'Big 5' supermarkets, and Aldi is just a cheap substandard option for those who can't afford Waitrose prices.
The Co-Op store does not offer a good enough range to be able to a weekly shop, its just a convenience store.
And the rest of Romsey consists of charity shops , estate agents, indian and chinese restaurants and take aways. There is nothing in Romsey, so lets have Tesco in the town.....then maybe an Iceland store as well.

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davecg99 says...
9:12pm Tue 24 Jul 12

For goodness sake, is nowhere sacred? I reckon Lord Mountbatten will turn in his grave at the thought of part of the Estate being taken over by a Tesco superstore. What next? The Queen allowing Tesco to build a store in the grounds of Buckingham Palace? As if the SO postcode area hasn't got enough Tesco stores anyway - I believe at the last count it is somewhere between 30 and 40 - and far from what the people of Romsey might think, Tesco is far from being the cheapest supermarket these days. I must admit it's been a few years since I did a tour of the Estate, so cannot remember if they have got a gift shop. If so, will this now be found in the Tesco store?

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Chartwell Chappers says...
12:58am Wed 25 Jul 12

What's the problem? Romsey is already crippled by inadequate & expensive parking, so nobody wants to shop in the town centre anyway. The only supermarket is Waitrose, which is overpriced, so what's the problem with a little competition? Move with the times & get a life, all you people who've moaned on here will all be shopping in Tesco's & parking for free...

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Danae says...
5:09am Wed 25 Jul 12

It is not worth pondering whether Tesco, Broadlands Estate (site owner) or anyone else fancies the idea of a shop on the Fairground Field.

The site is outside the Romsey development boundary, as a result no one can ever build on it.

We have all been through this process before. There is absolutely no point anyone wasting time, money and effort on it now.

It is productive to clear one's mind and focus instead on things that actually can be done.

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Danae says...
5:11am Wed 25 Jul 12

It is not worth pondering whether Tesco, Broadlands Estate (site owner) or anyone else fancies the idea of a shop on the Fairground Field.

The site is outside the Romsey development boundary, as a result no one can ever build on it.

We have all been through this process before. There is absolutely no point anyone wasting time, money and effort on it now.

It is productive to clear one's mind and focus instead on things that actually can be done.

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Danae says...
5:13am Wed 25 Jul 12

It is not worth pondering whether Tesco, Broadlands Estate (site owner) or anyone else fancies the idea of a shop on the Fairground Field.

The site is outside the Romsey development boundary, as a result no one can ever build on it.

We have all been through this process before. There is absolutely no point anyone wasting time, money and effort on it now.

It is productive to clear one's mind and focus instead on those things that actually can be done.

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CaptainSkippy says...
5:23am Wed 25 Jul 12

I think those who are saying that this will bring competition are missing the point, as Tesco are not competing on a level playing field. There is also more to Romsey than Waitrose, but also independent stores such as BK Drummond, the market holders, and others. Tesco can undercut these by pure might, and once in the doors why would the average shopper then also visit the town centre? It *will* damage local trade - and local trade is more than just jobs. Local character is about local business and culture - do we really want yet another Tesco town? Sure there could be more variety in town, and more reasons to encourage people in to Romsey both to shop and to visit but the solution isn't to build a big supermarket outside of it.

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Danae says...
7:39am Wed 25 Jul 12

The Fairground Field is outside the Romsey Development Boundary. No one can build on it.

We have been through this process twice since the late 1980s. There is no point anyone wasting more time, money and energy on it.

Productively local people, Broadlands Estate and Tesco development staff can clear their mind of fantasies and focus instead on achievable things elsewhere.

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Walter K says...
9:29am Wed 25 Jul 12

I'm pretty sure that this time Tesco & more importantly Broadlands will get their wish. Broadlands Estate is in a titanic struggle financially, Lord Brabourne fled to the Carribean a long time ago leaving his wife in the lurch. Her desperation coupled with corporate clout will see this through eventually.

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AndyAndrews says...
9:32am Wed 25 Jul 12

Low-priced food and other shopping, with free car-parking no doubt: it's a no-brainer!

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media8ter says...
12:09pm Wed 25 Jul 12

Danae wrote:
The Fairground Field is outside the Romsey Development Boundary. No one can build on it.

We have been through this process twice since the late 1980s. There is no point anyone wasting more time, money and energy on it.

Productively local people, Broadlands Estate and Tesco development staff can clear their mind of fantasies and focus instead on achievable things elsewhere.
Much as i would like this to be the case it's not !! Romsey may well have been through this before in the 80's but unfortunately it's 2012 and the arguments used in the late 80's are not valid now.
Whilst the proposed site is outside of the RDB, the paper was has in fact identified a need through Romsey's increased population and it continues to increase by nearly 3% and if Tesco's can prove there is a need for this development then the planners are duty bound to look at other sites including some green belt areas. I would urge Romsey residents to get into the 21st century, just cos it didn't happen b4 doesn't mean it's not going to happen this time.

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romseyboy says...
2:50pm Wed 25 Jul 12

We do not need this in romsey theres a Tesco Asda Sainsbury and a Morrisons within a ten/fifteen minute drive and Romsey DO NOT NEED THESE MONEY GRABBING SUPERMARKETS HERE. Keep it local keep the local shops going. Only thing Romsey needs for shopping is better parking. Why not build a complex for the youths of Romsey to go like we had in Romsey years ago a youth club where they can do sports and other activites and enjoy their lives.

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andysaints007 says...
7:13pm Wed 25 Jul 12

romseyboy wrote:
We do not need this in romsey theres a Tesco Asda Sainsbury and a Morrisons within a ten/fifteen minute drive and Romsey DO NOT NEED THESE MONEY GRABBING SUPERMARKETS HERE. Keep it local keep the local shops going. Only thing Romsey needs for shopping is better parking. Why not build a complex for the youths of Romsey to go like we had in Romsey years ago a youth club where they can do sports and other activites and enjoy their lives.
What has facilities for the youth got to do with a supermarket?

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Tugged says...
1:04am Thu 26 Jul 12

If I remember correctly the research that tescos has (mis)quoted actually said that 50% of Romsey's working residents work in Southampton, and many of those take the opportunity to shop there prior to returning to Romsey.

Tescos primary aim is to place stores along the route between the distribution centre in Nursling and the one in Salisbury. It saves them fuel, and they hope to take as much business from the market town as they possibly can.

Time and time again this has proven to reduce successful and busy town centres into ghost towns mainly filled with pound shops, town pubs and charity shops.

Oh well, there goes the neighbourhood.

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Tugged says...
1:11am Thu 26 Jul 12

davecg99 wrote:
For goodness sake, is nowhere sacred? I reckon Lord Mountbatten will turn in his grave at the thought of part of the Estate being taken over by a Tesco superstore. What next? The Queen allowing Tesco to build a store in the grounds of Buckingham Palace? As if the SO postcode area hasn't got enough Tesco stores anyway - I believe at the last count it is somewhere between 30 and 40 - and far from what the people of Romsey might think, Tesco is far from being the cheapest supermarket these days. I must admit it's been a few years since I did a tour of the Estate, so cannot remember if they have got a gift shop. If so, will this now be found in the Tesco store?
I wouldn't worry about that, they are putting a tree-line in to hide tescos from the broadlands estate..

I personally think lord whatsisname needs to see the tescos store in all it's glory ever time he looks out of the window, and plant the tree line so that the store is hidden from the rest of us.

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