Tesco-Complaint

Uproar against Tesco’s proposal for a ‘Tesco Town’ in Glasgow’s West End - By: Samer Bagaeen of STOP (Stop Tesco Owning Partick).

This proposal by Tesco involves a Tesco 24-hour superstore, student accommodation, student union, leisure centre and underground parking on land on Beith Street in Glasgow’s West End. All details relating to this on-going dispute can be found on the website of the residents group formed to campaign against this application - STOP (Stop Tesco Owning Partick) www.stoptesco.info. Supporting documents from Architecture and Design Scotland, Historic Scotland, and extensive media coverage including the BBC television and BBC Radio Scotland can be accessed via this site.

STOP is arguing that this proposed scheme by Tesco (http://www.stoptesco.info/tescoplans.htm) does not comply with Glasgow City Council’s own policies on retail developments, quality and design, greenspace or landscape and several Scottish Executive policy notes including those on transport, retail and town centre development. The proposed density on site is totally inappropriate given that the density of the proposed student accommodation, located on top of the 24-hour store, is excessive in both height and footprint.

STOP is arguing that the traffic flow impacts of this scheme will be overwhelming. Tesco’s own traffic impact assessment is flawed. The traffic impact of the development will be substantial and the mitigation suggested will not adequately address this increase in congestion and traffic levels, and makes no assessment of the likely impact of the development to the problems of on street parking already existing in the surrounding area.

Early in March 2007, the group’s chairman has set up an e-petition on the Scottish Parliament’s website calling for the Scottish Parliament to consider and debate the traffic, environmental and sustainability impact on existing communities in designated town centres of large 24-hour supermarket developments. This can be accessed here.

There was an uproar in Glasgow when the old Partick Central Railway Station Ticket Office (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Partick_Central_railway_station) which sat on the disputed site until it was demolished by Tesco at the end of January 2007 (http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/display.var.1156641.0.0.php) by means of a suspect building warrant issued by the Council’s building control department a few months previously to demolish other dilapidated buildings on the site. A video of the demolition can be seen on YouTube at (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EuBGju0Lvug).

The STOP group have been active in disturbing leaflet throughout Glasgow’s West End and have already organised a public meeting in December 2006. The next public meeting on this development in Partick is scheduled for 16 April 2007 (details will be posted on www.stoptesco.info).