Do people think Tesco or the Council are going to take any notice what the local residents think?

The council are getting some houses, which are always part of these schemes & Tesco have spent a lot of money on the land & this scheme so theyre not going to let it go.

I drive through Highams Park at 8:30 every morning & with all the mothers on their 'school run' the traffics already atrocious!

They certainly dont need it open 24 hours. I would have thought 10pm would be late enough.

With the 350 parking spaces for the store, 260 homes with cars, numerous office suites & business starter units there could be 1,000 extra cars in the area.

As Paul said it's already heavily congested at rush hour and if you presume most of this extra traffic will be moving at this time it could well end up with gridlock!

Would that be very eco friendly and village like?

I wonder what people think will be put on this site instead?

I saw the plans as well on friday and although I dont think they should have a store entrance on Jubilee Avenue, I thought otherwise the plans were OK.

The peak times for congestion are in the mornings when people drive kids to school and then in the evenings for people leaving the station.

So basically instead of saying Tesco will be causing more congestion perhaps we should be looking at reducing the congestion that is already there, e.g. why do people still persist in driving their kids to school? why has the council racked up the price of car parking at the stations so that people are forced to park on the side roads instead?

the whole thing needs thinking through which i vwery much doubt this council is capable of, and instead it will let Tescos be the whipping boy for any traffic problems that occur.

Hardly a "village" development when the plans show a store as large as the previous planned one and with "goodies" crammed on to the site to pull the wool over the eyes of those who think they are helping the local people.

All this extra development on the site will aggravate the traffic problems and will line Tesco's pockets by the scale of the store and by rental income for many years to come.

Surely the answer is a much smaller scale development but then I don't suppose they can make massive profits from a sensible plan like that.

It bothers me more that they are planning to provide a building that can be used as a PCT with no sign from the council that they have any intention of needing or wanting one.

i dont think they should be building just for the sake of it or because they think it will get their plans agreed.

i am sure tesco would prefer to just put up their store and not have to bother with anything else, but i suppose if they did this there would be even more of an outraged response.

as to the size of the store, if it was too small surely people would still end up going elsewhere if they cant find everything they need in the store.

Planners have a euphemism for offers of this kind. They call it a "planning gain".

I call it bribery.

Highams Green?! What a joke. Have you seen the proposed size of the green?!Both my husband and I went along to see this exhibition at different times on Saturday - and were told different things depending on which Tesco person you spoke to - they could at least have got their stories straight. I would love to see Highams Park regenerated - but not by putting up a huge Tesco. Why can't we have a number of smaller outlets on that land instead? Lets try and get a 'villagey' feel by making it an area where you can wander around a get a number of different things, supporting different businesses. Tesco say they will have 7 independent retail outlets available - but what are we likely to get - more chicken shops? what kind of businesses will Tesco not compete with. The Tesco PR person suggested one might be a CD store - has she not noticed that her employers sell very cheap CD's?! The exhibition showed what a wonderful area it would be to live in - what? with juggernauts delivering all hours of the day and night, a 24 hour Tesco attracting all sorts of groups wanting to 'hang around' with nothing better to do, local schools that you wont be able to get your children in to, trains that will be even more overcrowded and traffic that will be a complete nightmare.

The level crossing operates at least 8 times per hour (roughly every 7 minutes) and Tesco are not even proposing to run traffic lights to get you out of the estate. So the only way you would be able to leave the store/your home would be to nudge out on the larkshall road - they are expecting roughly 70 cars per minute we were told by the Tesco traffic managament guy (who incidentally also said that maybe Tesco would consider opening at 10am to reduce traffic during morning rush hour! quite what planet he came from....?)so if you were nudging out towards the crossing, the barriers come down, you wont be able to move, and you will create a gridlock. But still the Tesco traffic man does not think it will be a problem.

40% social housing -with only approximately 20 homes put aside for key workers - how will that change the face and feeling of what is predominantly a home-owner family area?

Does anyone know if the council are planning to hold a public meeting?

I apologise if I sound like an angry old woman. I'm not old, but I am angry. And I want Highams Park to be known for it's good schools, family life and proximity to Epping Forest, not the 24 hour Tesco hypermarket that will take the soul out of an area which could become another Wanstead if only the planners would listen.

but what are we likely to get - more chicken shops?

this is entirely up to the council and whether they will allow this kind of shop to open up, and one would hope that they would refuse permission, there are enough of these outlets already.

with juggernauts delivering all hours of the day and night

I was told there would be a maximum of 12 lorry deliveries per day (therefore 24 lorry journeys in and out of the store), none of which would be after 10 p.m., the lorries will not be all tesco 'juggernauts' as some deliveries are made direct by suppliers. no lorries will be allowed up winchester road.

we were told the store closing time was not decided so therefore on my suggestions card i asked if they would shut the store at 10 p.m.. anyone who would be desperate for a 24 store can go to the tesco in lee valley, thats my opinion.

local schools that you wont be able to get your children in to

this simply isnt the case at the moment, primary schools in chingford have spare capacity, it is the schools in the south of the borough that have an acute problem and some children there are being sent up to go to school in chingford.

as to senior schools - well highams park is oversubscribed massively anyway so either they reduce the catchment area (which is tiny anyway)or they allow the school to expand, or they get their finger out and build a new school somewhere!

this isnt all down to tesco - the councl has to put their mind to it as well!!!

Tesco are not even proposing to run traffic lights to get you out of the estate

well i dont know why you think this - there will be lights on hickman avenue (by focus) to control traffic going into the store.

i do think there shouldnt be an antrance on jubilee avenue and i did make a suggestion they just have that as an entrance for lorries only, who would then have to drive round to hickman avenue to come out.

And I want Highams Park to be known for it's good schools, family life and proximity to Epping Forest,

I agree with you 100%, but what would you want instead on that site? no one else will buy it, or if they do there will be a similar proposal coming forward.

you cannot force retail into an area that it doesnt consider will bring a viable profit, thats why smaller businesses cannot survive, at least if there is a tesco there is an small chance that a few decent oputlets will take up the smaller units and that will encourage people to go round them and maybe just maybe wander round the rest of highams park.

if this development doesnt go ahead there will be complete stagnation in highams park, as this council doesnt give a fig about supporting businesses that are there, they want to build houses on the station car park anyway (even though they deny it) - these houses will be just like the ones tesco are suggesting, so lets at least get one decent amenity out of all this not to mention a few local jobs!!

Tesco will obviously take on board everyones comments and may or may not change their minds when they put a planning application in but then money talks and people are left to pick up the pieces of their actions

yes, well the council approved the plans last time it was only the secretary of state that stopped it.

its up to the council to ensure we get the store we want, but i have serious doubts they know what they are doing, frankly, so far all their policies towards highams park are about killing the place off.

The drains in the underground car park better be good after the flooding yesterday!