Burghfield residents rally against Tesco plans
Fears that converting pub to supermarket will hit local traders and cause traffic hazard
TESCO is eying up a defunct pub in Burghfield Common to convert into a new store.
The Rising Sun (pictured), in Reading Road, has been the subject of intense local speculation for almost a year despite developer Delicia Consolidated Limited attempting to play down rumours that the building was being considered for a Tesco Express.
An application was submitted to West Berkshire Council in June to convert the first floor into three flats and to build a single storey rear extension for use as a shop, cafe, restaurant, pub or bar, but planning officers rejected it on grounds of poor design.
An appeal has been lodged with West Berkshire Council, and Tesco was named as the applicant, although the document has since been removed from the council's website.
The original application garnered several letters of objection from residents living nearby, one, Aran Long, from Reading Road, said: “As a local resident with children, we along with our neighbours are terrified of the road and opening a convenience store there and the increased amount of children in the area would lead to a fatality very soon.”
The Conservative MP for Wokingham John Redwood has personally lodged an objection to the appeal, and local feeling is running high around the development, with signs up saying ‘No Tesco Here' in the vicinity.
A message on the Burghfield Residents Association website said: “Our village already has four stores. In addition there is a greengrocery shop, Wellers, bakery Warings and a family butcher, Williams.
“We don't need another store. Particularly one which is likely to detrimentally affect these long standing existing businesses.”
A spokesman for Tesco, Simon Petar, said: “We do not own the site and have not taken a lease. The application for appeal is being undertaken by developers Delecia, not Tesco.
“We are in discussions to take the lease only if conditions are met by the landowner, one of them being that planning permission is achieved. If or when these conditions are met we will run a public consultation to allow us to consider the views of the local community."
There are currently 15 Tesco stores within a 16 mile radius of Newbury town centre.
The deadline for comments on the appeal is January 31.
For more information about the Burghfield Residents Associaion and how to lodge a comment log on to http://www.burghfieldresident.org.uk