HIGHAMS PARK: 'Don't give up Tesco fight' - Iain Duncan Smith (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

HIGHAMS PARK: 'Don't give up Tesco fight' - Iain Duncan Smith

4:04pm Friday 30th October 2009 in

By Claire Hack »

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CHINGFORD and Woodford Green MP Iain Duncan Smith has pledged to 'keep calling Boris Johnson until the next election' to protest against the Highams Park Tesco development.

Leading a protest on the site in Jubilee Avenue this afternoon (Friday), Mr Duncan Smith said: “This doesn't suit the local area at all. It's very dangerous with the level crossing – it's not the right place for a supermarket.”

As many as 100 protesters gathered and waved placards with messages such as 'BIG NO TO BIG TESCO'.

A similar message has also been spray painted onto the front of nearby Budgens supermarket, reading 'WE SAY NO TO TESCO'.

Motorists signalled their support for the protest by sounding their horns and waving as they drove past.

A police patrol car also pulled up during the protest but officers did not intervene.

Mr Duncan Smith urged protesters to persevere, saying: “All I can say is keep going. I can't promise we will win but I can promise we won't win if we give up.

“I'm utterly opposed to the scheme.”

Fears have been raised that trade will be drawn away from local businesses and that the proposed new supermarket and housing development will cause major traffic congestion.

Tesco has already said it has received 'substantial support' from both residents and traders and that it believes the scheme will be 'beneficial to Highams Park.

A spokesman said: "It is also important to recognise that our proposals are fully compliant with Waltham Forest Council's planning policies and that our application was recommended for approval by the Council's planning officers.

"We believe that this scheme will be beneficial to Highams Park and we look forward to being an active member of the community."

The Highams Park Forum is to send a letter to John Denham, the communities minister, asking for the application to be called in.

Others are also being encouraged to write and register their opposition in a last ditch bid to keep the development from going ahead.

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Comments(15)

DAN HIGHAMS PARK says...
4:34pm Fri 30 Oct 09

I do not understand tescos comments that local residents want this aberration.The only people it will benefit is Tescos themselves,it will totally destroy the local area and really is not needed.can anyone tell me apart from Henry Morgan The opticians (funnily enough tescos do not sell glasses yet) who The Highams Park Traders for Regeneration actually are , I have been asking in local shops and can't find anyone who signed this petition.If Henry Morgan really expect people to shop in highams Park after they have been to tescos he hasn't looked at any stats regarding similar areas that have been killed by other large developments where all the local shops have been forced to close.the only reason this is going ahead is becuase the corrupt Waltham forest council have been bribed by a measly 1.5 mio of Tesco blood money which will not help in any way regarding the infra structure of the area.when i wrote to the local Lib Dem councillors of the area they had no idea why 2 lib Dem councillors at the meeting voted in favor of Tescos which seems strange as they are the same party and neither could they get an answer to why they voted yes. The late honorable john Beanse was dead against this regeneration and i feel that their yes vote is a stain on his memory.The council received 270 letters against the proposal and 15 in favour , so how did they vote ?? It is nothing short of a disgrace.The proposed development would be the only Tesco
store in the North East London Corridor that is not sited on an ‘A’ Road causing a major traffic gridlock in the area. The area does need investment but not the type Tescos are offering , a store this size will totally destroy the local area and the residents are not against a store but one as high as 3 stacked double decker buses (44 feet high) and as large as 7,513 m shows that it is not for local people but being built to attract viistors from outside the area.Also it will have a 24 hour license which seems strange as the corrupt Waltham forest councillors are very loud about local off licenses extending their own licenses for fear of antisocial behaviour but when its Tescos dangling a big cheque in front of their faces that's Ok then.With 2 primary schools and a nursery site within 300m metres of the site the extra lorries and cars bring added danger and pollution for hundreds of school children walking to and from school..if you do not know the local area within a 5 minute drive of Highams Park there are 5 large supermarkets including 2 Tescos already.Tescos themselves estimate that at busy periods there will be nearly 900 extra car trips so then to state it will have no impact on congestion in the area is absolutely puzzling.They say the development is for the local area ,who are they trying to kid, noone wants this development at all.the fact that they have offered to build 261 new homes seems to have sweetened the council but these new homes are going to be exceedingly small.waltham forest unitary development plan identifies an ideal density of 200-250 habitable rooms per hectare in a development of this kind ,however the density in the planning application is 343 habitable rooms per hectare meaning on average habitable rooms would be 42 % smaller than those recommended by Waltham Forest's own Unitary Development plan.
So please tell me why on earth this
vote was in favour

I do not understand tescos comments that local residents want this aberration.The only people it will benefit is Tescos themselves,it will totally destroy the local area and really is not needed.can anyone tell me apart from Henry Morgan The opticians (funnily enough tescos do not sell glasses yet) who The Highams Park Traders for Regeneration actually are , I have been asking in local shops and can't find anyone who signed this petition.If Henry Morgan really expect people to shop in highams Park after they have been to tescos he hasn't looked at any stats regarding similar areas that have been killed by other large developments where all the local shops have been forced to close.the only reason this is going ahead is becuase the corrupt Waltham forest council have been bribed by a measly 1.5 mio of Tesco blood money which will not help in any way regarding the infra structure of the area.when i wrote to the local Lib Dem councillors of the area they had no idea why 2 lib Dem councillors at the meeting voted in favor of Tescos which seems strange as they are the same party and neither could they get an answer to why they voted yes. The late honorable john Beanse was dead against this regeneration and i feel that their yes vote is a stain on his memory.The council received 270 letters against the proposal and 15 in favour , so how did they vote ?? It is nothing short of a disgrace.The proposed development would be the only Tesco store in the North East London Corridor that is not sited on an ‘A’ Road causing a major traffic gridlock in the area. The area does need investment but not the type Tescos are offering , a store this size will totally destroy the local area and the residents are not against a store but one as high as 3 stacked double decker buses (44 feet high) and as large as 7,513 m shows that it is not for local people but being built to attract viistors from outside the area.Also it will have a 24 hour license which seems strange as the corrupt Waltham forest councillors are very loud about local off licenses extending their own licenses for fear of antisocial behaviour but when its Tescos dangling a big cheque in front of their faces that's Ok then.With 2 primary schools and a nursery site within 300m metres of the site the extra lorries and cars bring added danger and pollution for hundreds of school children walking to and from school..if you do not know the local area within a 5 minute drive of Highams Park there are 5 large supermarkets including 2 Tescos already.Tescos themselves estimate that at busy periods there will be nearly 900 extra car trips so then to state it will have no impact on congestion in the area is absolutely puzzling.They say the development is for the local area ,who are they trying to kid, noone wants this development at all.the fact that they have offered to build 261 new homes seems to have sweetened the council but these new homes are going to be exceedingly small.waltham forest unitary development plan identifies an ideal density of 200-250 habitable rooms per hectare in a development of this kind ,however the density in the planning application is 343 habitable rooms per hectare meaning on average habitable rooms would be 42 % smaller than those recommended by Waltham Forest's own Unitary Development plan. So please tell me why on earth this vote was in favour DAN HIGHAMS PARK