Tesco new store would be bad for Brighton Hill Centre

"The Borough Council's retail consultant 'Strategic Perspectives' has raised serious concerns about Tesco's application for a new supermarket at the former Smiths Industries site," reports councillor Brian Gurden.

The consultants have examined Basingstoke's convenience goods expenditure, capacity and floor space, in relation to the government's planning policies for sustainable economic growth. Their conclusion is that there's not sufficient capacity to support Tesco's proposed supermarket at the site.

They believe that both Tesco at Chineham and ASDA at Brighton Hill are under trading and at less than 2008 levels.

"The consultants consider that if a new store did get approval, evidence shows there'd be reduced footfall with lower spend at the Chineham and Brighton Hill centres. This would damage the appeal of both centres and their ability to attract new operators in the future," said councillor Kevin Harkess. "The Brighton Hill Centre needs to stay vibrant, we don't want to see empty units."

In the event that Tesco's application is approved, Basingstoke planners are then required to consult with the Secretary of State for a final decision. This is because the application is for a store with more than 5,000 square metres floor space.

"Basingstoke planners have given a copy of the retail consultant's report to Tesco Stores inviting it to respond. Tesco didn't responded to similar concerns about its previous application, but this time I hope that they will," said councillor Brian Gurden.