Tesco pull out of plans in Llanrwst

Council leader Dilwyn Roberts informed cabinet members on Tuesday that the developer working on behalf of Tesco had informed the authority that “a client does not intend to proceed with developing a store at Llanrwst”.

For more information, please read the following articles:

http://www.northwalesweeklynews.co.uk/conwy-county-news/local-conwy-news/2012/08/16/plans-for-tesco-sotre-in-llanrwst-withdrawn-55243-31629685/

http://www.conveniencestore.co.uk/news/tesco-drops-welsh-supermarket-plans/231667.article

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-19267597

This is a big step in the right direction for democracy and transparency of information. Once we shine a light on secret discussions and bring them into the open, it's interesting how quickly they stop...

As a group, we are committed to ensuring the people of Llanrwst and the wider area have all the necessary information available to make informed decisions on the future of the town.

NO suitable sites for Waste Transfer Station in Llanrwst

A CCBC Local Development Plan document shows there are no suitable sites in Llanrwst for a Waste Transfer Station.

Below are links to two PDF documents. One is the Conwy Local Development Plan, Deposit Plan 2007-2022, background paper 21, Site deliverability assessment.

Site Deliverability Study

CCBC Disposal and Acquisition Policy

The document clearly states that only two sites in Llanrwst have be thoroughly considered for a Waste Transfer Station. These are 'Cawleys Yard' and 'East of Maes Tawel'. Both of these sites were found to be not suitable for the same reason:

‘The site is situated in the C2 flood risk zone and is not considered suitable against the acceptability criteria outlined in TAN 15.’ 

The site on Betws Road has not even been studied to see if it is suitable, therefore no action should be taken to build a site there without first assessing the site!

How can CCBC be in any discussions with CPG regarding building a waste transfer station on Betws Road, when there hasn't been a formal assessment of whether that site is even suitable? Given that the site on Betws Road is more liable to flooding than the above sites, due to its close location to the river, how can CCBC think they'll get planning approval for the site?

This is yet another example of CCBC trying to make decisions without all the facts. If the people of the Conwy valley can read these documents, perhaps Councillors should do the same...

CCBC IGNORING THEIR OWN GUIDELINES

In considering the proposal for a new Supermarket for Llanrwst, Conwy County Council have ignored their own extensive local development plan consultation for the years 2007 - 2022.

Below is a download link to a document entitled 'Conwy Deposit Local Development Plan, 2007 - 2022 (Revised edition 2011). Please download the document for reference.

CCBC Development Plan Document

The following article is from Mike Skerrett, a member of the Llanrwst Campaign Group.

'The important section for Llanrwst are pages 21 to 24, in the document the consultants Scott Wilson identify the fact that Llanrwst as a town is currently under trading. This means, in laymans  terms, that each existing square metre of trading area is not taking enough money as it's only an estimated amount of £1257 per sq. m, this is shown in Scenario 1 for Convenience Goods (section 3.5.12).

If you look at Scenario 2 (section 3.5.13) where they use the figures for optimal trading density i.e. £4000 per sq.m it clearly states that there is no need for any additional Convenience Goods floorspace during the plan period, that is up to 2020.

In fact if the expenditure forecast for Llanrwst of £2,075,906 actually occurs in 2020 and the existing retailers achieved optimal trading density of £4,000 per sq.m then the town would only need 519 sq.m.

The consultants report in section 3.5.14 recommends that the Planning Authority should implement Scenario 2 and not allocate any further retail sites within the Local Development Plan.

If you look at the next section which covers Comparison Goods the picture is similar, the town currently trades at £573 per sq.m, if you look at Scenario 2 (3.5.16) it shows that if Llanrwst traded at only £2,000 per sq. m  it would only need  1,523 sq. m of space even up to 2020.

The consultants in section (3.5.17) specifically states that floorspace should be constrained in order to increase the vitality and viability of the centre.

I am sure that none of the councillors involved in the decision to invite Tesco's to take over Llanrwst have even read this document, let alone understood it. It's been produced at great expense by CCBC to provide accuracy in planning needs. Not,  "Let's have a Tesco's so we get a Waste Tip",

that's the worst BOGOF deal I've ever seen.

To put things in perspective and in units that we all understand, the current total trading are in Llanrwst  for Convenience Goods, i.e.groceries, is around 16,000 sq. ft. - the proposed Tesco's is 28,000 sq. ft. -  almost twice the size of the existing retail area.. That's like building 28 shops the size of mine in one place !

Convenience goods are things we buy often like groceries and the like, Comparison Goods are things we buy less often such as cars, electrical goods etc.

The link below will take you to Scott Wilson's website there not a small concern as you will see, if you also read the intoduction to the report and the methodology it explains what they did.

http://www.peelandfowler.co.uk/services/consultancy/business_economics_and_strateg.aspx

Council in secret negotiations with Tesco

The Convenience Store website has posted an article on their website today covering the campaign against Tesco. You can read the article at the following link:

http://www.conveniencestore.co.uk/news/welsh-council-in-secret-negotiations-with-tesco/230965.article

You can leave comments both here and on their website.

Thanks

Llanrwst Campaign Group

Llanrwst uniting against Tesco proposal

Businesses in Llanrwst are uniting against the Tesco proposal for a new supermarket in town. 

Several shops throughout the town are now displaying campaign posters, making it clear that the Tesco proposal is not in favour with the majority of local businesses.

You can download the posters here for printing:

Welsh version (1.1 mb zip file containing A4 and A5 designs)

English version (1.1 mb zip file containing A4 and A5 designs)

Let's get these posters printed everywhere!

Llanrwst Campaign Group

Peaceful Protest 11th July 2012

About 60 people of ages from 6 to 86 stood in peaceful representation of proper democratic process and wished only to pass over a letter written to all Llanrwst Town councillors asking why County Council wished to discuss in secret an exchange of contracts by mid August, for the Tesco and Waste transfer development. 

No County Official would speak to the crowd, only 2 Llanrwst town councillors demonstrated their commitment to the people of Llanrwst by coming out to talk. Cllr Alun Jones and Cllr Nelson Haerr, who stated:
"Nothing should be behind closed doors, this makes me feel physically sick, I want to get the dirt in there, let me bring it out."
Cllr Jones stated:
"We will make a statement at the end of the meeting"
Two and a half hours later when the meeting ended, NO statement was forthcoming. Cllr Haerr stated: 
"County will do a press release. I am now confident that Town Councillors are not involved in any behind closed door deal, we {town councillors} do not know anything more now than before we went into this meeting." 
Clearly County officers had tied their hands and gaged them.  


A video of the event can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4Je5V0o23A&feature=youtu.be


Please watch this and spread the word.
Thanks

Subversion of Democracy by Conwy Council

Letter sent to Welsh Government members and North Wales News:

CONWY COUNTY BOROUGH COUNCIL ATTEMPT TO SUBVERT DEMOCRACY IN ORDER TO TICK THE WELSH ASSEMBLY BOX FOR CONSTRUCTING WASTE TRANSFER STATIONS.

Mr. Bleddyn Evans, Conwy County Valuer & Asset Manager, instructed Llanrwst Town Councillors to attend a secret meeting at 7pm Wednesday 11th July in an attempt to get their agreement to exchange of contracts with Tesco developers by mid August PRIOR to any planning application having been lodged and any public consultation.

He stated, QUOTE " as you'll be aware, a CCBC resolution exists which gives authority to progress with the disposal of Plas yn Dre to a developer and for associated works {building of a waste transfer station and highways depot in green space on the banks of our salmonite river} to be delivered and authorised."
ERGO CCBC have outline planning for both projects and have given tacit agreement to both builds and agreement to 'sell' council owned (people owned) land to tesco for an undisclosed sum and without planning permission granted.

QUOTE - "If the contractual position is not secured there is the risk that the proposals may not progress. This time factor could be a negotiating position put forward by the developer, but appreciating the parious state of the commercial property market, and the reduction in food store floor space uptake on a national basis, and made public by the main supermarkets, this is a situation which CCBC cannot take lightly."
ERGO CCBC have already made the decision that this build must go ahead, IN SPITE of the fact that his own argument for exchanging quickly is one reason why another (3rd) supermarket food store is NOT needed in LLanrwst. Clearly a Tesco will cause hardship and closure to existing food stores ( Spar only needs a 30% downturn in turnover to cause them to shut).

It is our opinion that CCBC can see nothing other than the opportunity to have the Welsh Assembly demand for waste transfer station fullfilled by Tesco building it in exchange for demolishing our Library, Police station and public car park and building a 28,000sq ft super store ON THE BANKS OF OUR SALMONITE RIVER across the front of our riverside footpath and tourist attraction.

The people will have to fund re-building of Library and police station from Council budget, and Council propose to seek half a million in grant aid to subsidise this re-build. - there is nothing wrong with the current buildings and the police station is NOT council owned.

Llanrwst has a population of approx 3000 people and existing retail space, in a declining town centre of LESS than 28000sq ft.

The argument for the Tesco store which CCBC are pedaling to the town councillors is that it will bring footfall into the town - it is going to be on the outer edge of town, the roads will not cope with the lorries or extra traffic, parking time restrictions will apply, people do not do the big supermarket shop in tesco then go off looking at other shops up the road for a couple of hours, they go home - Tesco will be most interested in maximising their turnover not assisting the town's retailers.

We rely on the tourist shoppers in summer months to uplift turnover. Clearly we will loose these shoppers as well as existing town users, and loss in turnover doesn't need to be much to force closures, for most retailers it is less than a 30% reduction which will make the shop unviable.

Our most important tourist USP is "TRADITIONAL MARKET TOWN"  -- "just like any other supermarket town" will NOT enhance our tourist industry upon which our economy depends.


60+ people stood in peaceful demonstration just before the "secret" meeting took place in order to present to the town councillors the attached letter. They asked if a representative of the people could listen to the meeting and were refused. Police were called to remove the people from the building, which they did not do. Eventually a councillor promised a statement would be made at the end of the meeting. 2 and a half hours later NO statement was forthcoming.

The letters can be downloaded here:

English version

Welsh Version

Please read and distribute.

Your sincerely
LLANRWST CAMPAIGN GROUP