More Choice or Less Choice? Tesco plans for new store

Local Liberal Democrats have delivered a survey to thousands of homes in Brighton Hill, Cranbourne, Kings Furlong and part of South Ham, to get residents' views about Tesco's ambitions to open a new superstore on the former Smiths Industries site.

The high response shows residents' depth of feelings and concerns. Tesco received about 200 comments at their recent exhibitions at Aldworth Science College and Queen Mary College. To-date the Lib Dems have received over 900 completed survey forms and they are still arriving in the post every day - we expect over 1000 soon. We've analysed the responses that reveal over 700 residents (74%) don't want a Tesco superstore at this site. More surprisingly 4 out of 10 existing Tesco Chineham customers don't want it either.

Tesco claim that they want us to have more choice. But we can already shop at Tesco in Chineham, or Tesco Express in Carpenters Down, Kempshott, Oakridge, Lychpit or Hampstead House in the town centre. But that's not enough. They want to give us even more choice with a new Tesco superstore on the Smiths Industries site.

As Tesco spreads its tentacles even wider, what will happen to our local shops? The Lib Dem residents' survey showed that 60% of responses were concerned about losing them.

Many Kings Furlong residents shop at their local Jaybee's shop. They are worried that it will lose too much trade and be forced to close. Some older people want to know "who will deliver our newspapers if the shop closes? Tesco don't deliver newspapers". And if it closes, will that reduce trade at the Centre and pressure the pharmacy?

Cranbourne residents are worried that Tesco competition will end up closing the Anstey Close Londis shop. South Ham and The Berg residents, are concerned about their local shops at Buckland Avenue and Kings Road, and in particular, one of the few remaining independent butchers in Basingstoke.

Some people however would welcome Tesco provided that it sorts out the traffic problems. About 1 in 5 Sainsburys and ASDA customers would support a Tesco store. This support increases to 1 in 4 for Morrisons' customers.

But the most loyal customers are those who do some of their shopping at their local shop. Many of these people rely on the personal service that only a local shop can give. Only 1 in 10 local shop customers support the idea of Tesco on the Smiths Industries site.

"It's not about Tesco offering a wider choice, it's about increasing Tesco market share and Tesco profits", says Lib Dem councillor Kevin Harkess. "If Tesco comes to the west of the town centre, there is a risk that we could end up with less choice: no Jaybee's at Kings Furlong Centre, no Londis at Anstey Close, no McColl's at Buckland Parade and no butcher or Co-op at Kings Road. And of course these people could lose their jobs alongside losses at other supermarkets".

Kevin Harkess

Lib Dem councillor

Brighton Hill