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Tesco is on its way to Marlborough (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)
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Tesco is on its way to Marlborough
2:13pm Thursday 30th July 2009
Mum Lisa Farrell, who has spearheaded a campaign to bring a bargain-price supermarket to Marlborough, was this week celebrating news that Tesco is planning to open on the town’s business park.
But Mrs Farrell, 43, who lives with her 25-year-old son Bryan in Five Stiles Road, revealed her efforts to bring a supermarket to town that caters for families on lower incomes has not made her popular in some quarters.
She said: “I had one woman tell me at a meeting that if I brought Tesco to Marlborough she would shoot me and my son has been the subject of abuse on Facebook.
“The town badly needs another supermarket, there is nowhere in the town centre for one because modern supermarkets require their own car parks, so we think this is a marvellous chance.
“I live in a part of the town where there are many low income families and this will be good news for them.”
However, the town’s chamber of commerce is againt the Tesco plan as it fears people will stay away from the town centre and only go to the business park in Salisbury Road.
Chamber president Peter Davison said he was sorry Tesco was not moving into the town centre and said: “Trading conditions for independent retailers are difficult, even in a vibrant town like Marlborough, and shopkeepers are concerned about the competition that an out-of-town supermarket will pose, especially one which is able to offer free parking.”
Wessex Chamber of Commerce chief executive Mike Williams said: “We share the concern of the Marlborough chamber and, while we have no objection to Tesco as a company, we would have preferred to see them opening in the High Street.”
Marlborough has had just upmarket Waitrose to rely on since Somerfield closed three years ago.
Local people started to campaign for another supermarket to come to Marlborough saying low income families were being forced to go to Devizes, Hungerford, Swindon and Tidworth to shop.
The Marlborough Matters group was set up by Mrs Farrell, who is a catering manager at Marlborough College, with a group of friends to fight the cause.
They initiated talks directly with supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Morrisons inviting them to look at Marlborough and they believe it was their efforts that made Britain’s biggest supermarket chain decide to come to town.
This week Tesco confirmed it had secured an agreement with the business park owners subject to planning consent because the trade park has a no-retail restriction.
A spokeswoman said: “We are proposing a small store near the entrance to the business park.”
It would be similar in size to Tesco at Hungerford and would be mainly a food store. Tesco representatives will be attending a public meeting at the town hall on August 10, 7pm, to discuss the proposal.
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Your Say YourGazette
bluestar79, Marlborough says...
4:23pm Thu 30 Jul 09
Mr Anon, Marlborough says...
4:28pm Thu 30 Jul 09
hewie76, marlborough says...
6:32pm Thu 30 Jul 09
bluestar79, Marlborough says...
11:39pm Thu 30 Jul 09
sally2, says...
8:43am Fri 31 Jul 09
Mr Anon, Marlborough says...
9:47am Fri 31 Jul 09
sarina16, Marlborough says...
4:02pm Fri 31 Jul 09
My view is that if you don't want a Tesco in Marlborough then don't shop there, but don't stop the less fortunate having that opportunity. It’s all about choice, and if you want to shop in Waitrose then nobody is stopping you, but if you want to shop in Tesco, you should be allowed to have that choice.
The town will not be ruined by Tesco, because shops should be strong enough to stay open, there is nothing wrong with competition. And if smaller shops can stay open with Waitrose, then why can’t they with a Tesco??
I look at Marlborough as a very friendly little town, where everybody knows everybody. Now, following these newspaper articles and the appalling comments that go with them, I have been really let me down knowing that so many high authority people can have such a little mind and heart.
The people of Marlborough should not have to be forced to go to Swindon to buy affordable food, or forced to pay money each month for the internet just to be able to shop online for affordable food. I think it’s unfair.
The cruellest part of it all is the spiteful comments that are being said to both Lisa and Bryan. “I think it's not right that poor Mrs Farrell has to drive to Hungerford or Swindon to shop...she should move there instead and do us all a favour”. Very mature of you Mr Anon of Marlborough.
A perfect example of a town that was worried about small businesses closing because of Tesco is Chepstow, yet the people won and surprise, surprise the small businesses are still open, 6 years later.
Lisa and Bryan are just two people, speaking for the 1100 people in Marlborough that wanted an affordable supermarket, that have been too shy or scared to speak out.
Every single supermarket in the World more than likely, has unethical issues about them. Generally you pay for quality, so Waitrose would be more ethical than Tesco, but Tesco is far cheaper, and still offers you a range of Organic foods and fair-trade coffees.
Ask yourself why you do not want a Tesco? Then put yourself in the 1000 people that do want it shoes because they can’t afford to travel or they can’t afford to shop in Waitrose and ask yourself again, why you would not want a Tesco?
So I would like to say a big well done to Lisa and Bryan for doing something that so many people have been too scared to do!
sally2, says...
8:43am Sat 1 Aug 09
overthebridge, marlborough says...
12:21pm Sat 1 Aug 09
I support local independent businesses, who work hard to keep Marlborough just that bit different. Not Waitrose or Tesco. Nor cheap baked beans.
IMJ, Marlborough says...
1:57pm Sat 1 Aug 09
country_bumpkin, Marlborough says...
6:04pm Sat 1 Aug 09
And Hungerford may have a tescos and a high street - but tescos is on the high street there!
If tescos move in, there will undoubtedly be a negative effect on the high street shops.
I don't think this is a solution, and hopefully this bid by tesco will fail.
Marlborough Resident, Marlborough says...
9:41pm Sat 1 Aug 09
This once beautiful rural area at the foot of Savernake Forest was built upon, simply to bring a much needed BUSINESS park to Marlborough. This was desperately needed to encourage varied employment back to our town once again, and it was clearly cited that the development should not be used for retail, which would discourage trade from the High Street.
If TESCO wanted to come to Marlborough, they should bid for the old Woolworth or M&S stores.
Lisa Farrell’s group does not ‘speak for the people of Marlborough’ as some of the comments above express, I know just as many townsfolk who would be equally angry to see an out-of-town supermarket mussel in on land designated for business purposes.
nightster, marlborough says...
7:15pm Sun 2 Aug 09
overthebridge, marlborough says...
8:17pm Sun 2 Aug 09
For every example of a town which has a large supermarket in it, which seems to be doing well, there are probably three which are not. When I last visted Chepstow, there were many empty shops - the effect of Tesco? Ross-on-Wye is another example with no independent grocers, butcher or clothes shops but a whopping great Morrisons in the centre.
There is choice in Marlborough - the market, Tim Smiths the Grocers, two butchers etc. People are right though, most tinned groceries and frozen would need to be bought from Waitrose as they have the monopoly over these items, just as Tesco does too.
(IMJ - my baked beans come from The Top Shop)
jams83, devizes says...
10:45am Mon 3 Aug 09
sarina16, Marlborough says...
11:24pm Mon 3 Aug 09
I live in Chepstow, i am 100% sure that i know about all the business that goes on in Chepstow. I was brought up here. The shops are fine, you have the likes of Herbert Lewis, Morgan News, spar, peacocks, furniture smart, lots of other companies.
I believe the shops actually closed to be done up because the town centre was refurbished. So tbh dont try lying.
Many Thanks
Ms K, Wroughton says...
6:38am Wed 5 Aug 09
Tetbury was completely opposed to having a Tesco and yet now the town would not be without it!
Local businesses will always have it share of the market place, such as Smith’s and the local butchers, after all I am more than sure that the residents of Marlborough that have always supported the local business will continue you do so, of course some people will try Tesco at first but if the fruit and veg and the meats are of a higher standard than the supermarket then the residents will still purchase there goods from the local business, competition is healthy for everyone, and that includes the local businesses.
Marlborough will still have its quirky quaint shops and tea rooms, coaches will still come from far away places with its tourists and the local business will still continue you to gain revenue from these sources as well as the locals. Once again I say well done Mrs Farrell for fighting to give Marlborough a choice that it currently does not have!
overthebridge, marlborough says...
8:46pm Wed 5 Aug 09
Thank you for putting it right though.
This argument will go on and on and only time will tell who was right or wrong. Everybody is entitled to their opinion and arguments. Also in my defence, people shouldn't judge people by thier posts! I am not rich and I do not earn a vast disposable income. My support is with the local traders, many of whom are my friends and some are my relations. I just hope that Tesco does not put them out of business. Let's see what happens.
Lisa Farrell, far left, with other Marlborough Matters campaigners celebrate at the site of the proposed new Tesco
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Mr Anon, Marlborough says...
4:08pm Thu 30 Jul 09