[g jones]

I am on the Planning Committee. I am in general anti-supermarket but like many, my reluctance seems to wane when I need to get a weekly shop after finishing work.

The reasons for voting for it were not obvious but were very important. Two major reasons. Firstly losing an appeal of that magnitude may have cost around £100,000. Money which could spent elsewhere. The Highways authority said following the implementation of road improvements and a SCOOT system they would not support an appeal on Highways grounds leaving the Council high and dry at appeal.

More significantly the sequential test. This site was the only 90,000 sq ft site and if it had been rejected, Tesco's would have had a good case to locate even further out of town which would have be the same problem but magnified. As it stood now a 90,000 sq ft site was suitable preventing Tesco's locating out of town. Asda is massively over trading and with one major supermarket, Tesco's would also have had a strong case on appeal for competition.

On the Highways I am sceptical like everyone else. What put me off was the critics of Whitebirk who said it was lunacy. I have found it to be an incredible engineering and traffic management feat how 500 yard tailbacks have been reduced at peak, to less than a 100 at all the junctions. THe emotional arguments with no evidence then, as now was a worry because LCC had demonstrated to me anyway that they have the ability and they were the only contributors who had been on site and actually took measurements and presented them.

Objectors stated this would bring 30,000 cars a week into the town centre. As one Councillor commented "Do you expect Councillors to turn away 30,000 cars when the town is dying?"

Both sides (Tesco's/objectors) came with little evidence. In fact I think Tesco's could see the advantages of having it turned down. The only evidence was provided by 3 independent impact studies. LCC Highways, Whyte and Young and (slips my mind this late in the evening).

They reported that ASDA was overtrading hugely. That £98m per annum was being spent in supermarkets outside Hyndburn. Several objectors said they used Burnley's Tesco when arguing that they did not leave Tesco's to shop in Burnley Town Centre. Clearly we need to attract these people back to Hyndburn. That the leakage of people from the Supermarket to also shop elsewhere ie the number of people who will use the TC from Tesco's car park will be around 3%. That's 900 cars a week.

The Arndale proposition was weak. 30,000 sq feet is available with demolition of the car park but Tesco's would refuse that as too small (though they do locate their smallest at 30,000) given the healthy monopoly ASDA have in the town. Tesco's clearly wanted a big slice of the cake, not a little one. In town, out of town, Matalan, Hyndburn Rd, Arnold Clark, anywhere... In did not help 14 months ago when Arndale said they were close to a deal with major retailers, plans were imminent for Arndale expansion (into the car park) in opposing Peel Holdings development at Whitebirk. Once Peel Holdings were turned down, Arndale plans simply disappeared. Suggestions this time that Sainsbury's were ready as part of a new development, lacking any evidence, were viewed critically for lacking substance.

Highways stated there would be an increase in traffic. They said they had measured traffic levels and it was congested for less than an hour and an improved traffic system, SCOOT et al, would see traffic levels rise but not to unmanageable levels. Tesco's, not wishing to add time to deliveries have scheduled them in for non peak times. I am concerned about articulated wagons and the restricted space at the bottom of Eagle St.

Tesco's also spent a long period haggling with Council over impact money (106 monies) and design details. Normally they face away from town centres and are cheapish build. In this case it will be a flagship design for them, facing Cannon St. They will contribute £1.3m to the Bus and rail Station. £400k will go towards TC improvements between Tesco's and the Town Hall. The car parking spaces, which are nearrer to Town then some of the Council's own spaces, will offset the loss of spaces behind Kwik Save and will be free to use for people justw ishing to shop in town. £1.3m is a substantial amount.

Tesco's also backed down on it's employment practices too. 2/3rds must come from within the Borough and there is some extra small print about having to target jobless. Normally it's a 1/3rd.

I am very concerned about the traffic, but I am not an expert. I know it is becoming increasingly likely that Blackburn Rd will be opened up under restrictions to ease the flow up Eagle St. Another factor as well as helping clear Peel St as part of improving accessibility, parking, desirability of the Market Hall.

In the end only a kamikaze pilot would have turned it down because it was unwinable (with a costly defeat in prospect). In an ideal world we should be able to say no to almost anything and not have to be held to account by people (or big business) outside of the Borough. That would be true democracy but no party has (or is currently) in favour of that.