SouthdownBath

Well - as a certain telephone ad said "its good to talk". Just a few days after the blog on inaction over the new Tesco Express build we have been contacted by Tesco, an explanation provided, the Council chased up and the contaminated clearance issued. Not bad for a week's chasing after so many months of inaction.

Copy of info sent to local residents:

Dear residents of Englishcombe Lane, Marsden Road and Sabin Close,

Things are now moving along nicely with this project.

1. The contamination report has been approved by the relevant section of the Council today - see following . I will be making further enquiries as to why this took so long and will report back with the explanation.

Planning Permission 06/03892/FUL - Redevelopment of former petrol garage to form Convenience Store

Further to the above planning permission, I can confirm that the Closure Report submitted in respect of Contaminated Land is acceptable, and Condition 5 of the above planning permission is now discharged.

2. Dine Romero and I will be meeting with the Tesco public relations officer for Bath and the project manager for the site in early August to ensure there are no more holdups on delivering this new store.

Well within a day of posting the previous entry Tesco have contacted us with an explanation. Its all down to health and safety issues over the contaminated land problem from the fact that the site is a former petrol station. We will now be contacting Health and Safety to find out what has caused the delay and get the issue resolved as swiftly as possible. We will also arrange a site meeting with Tesco to go over the next phase and get the store built quickly as possible.

Explanation from Tesco:-  

Dear Cllrs,   Yesterday I read your blog about our Tesco Express development on Englishcoombe Lane and I'm very sorry to hear that you feel we have let the local community down and have not been a good neighbour so far. We are just as disappointed as local residents that we are remain unable to progress the new Tesco Express store on Englishcoombe Lane.   However one of the conditions of our planning permission, prevents any construction on site until the local council have signed off the environmental investigations. The investigations relate to any contamination of the land caused by the former petrol station and approval is needed regarding the disposal of any contaminated waste and the affected area.   We submitted the necessary information to local council in a timely manner, and we have now been waiting for a very long time for the required sign off. We understand that currently there isn't anyone in the council department to deal with this situation. In the meantime, there is no further work that we can carry out on site and we have had to close the site down while we wait.   Once we receive the necessary sign-off we will get on with the work needed and make every effort to open the store as quickly as possible. In the meantime, if you feel that you can assist us in anyway, we would be very grateful for your help.   My contact details are below, please don't hesitate to contact me in future about this store.   Kind regards,

Last year Tesco got planning permission to convert the Englishcombe Service Station into an Express Store. They started work before Christmas with a promise to open in mid March. In February at the licence application, when we reduced the 17 hour a day licence to 15 hours, they informed us that the project had been delayed and would be completed in mid July. Its mid July now - work stopped in February so goodness knows when it will be built.

At the Licencing they promised to be a Good Neighbour. TESCO - leaving a derelict site in the middle of a residential area is NOT being a good neighbour. It is being a BAD neighbour. Its no wonder they face so much opposition round the country when they treat communities that welcomed them in like this!!

Over the years we have lost two general stores, a butcher, a post office and now the petrol station cum store.

Press release

Residents fed up with bad neighbour Tesco

Southdown residents and local Councillors Paul Crossley and Dine Romero are criticising Tesco for the delays in opening the new store on Englishcombe Lane, saying the building site is an eyesore.

At the end of 2007 Tesco won planning permission to convert the petrol station and shop on Englishcombe Road into a new Tesco Express store. This was welcomed by residents of the Kingsway area of Bath who had lost three local shops over the previous years. Work started before Christmas with an expected completion date of mid-March 2008.

Tesco applied for a very long alcohol licence for the store in January. Many residents thought a 17 hour 7 day licence was not appropriate and at the Council Licensing committee this was reduced to 15 hours a day. At that meeting Tesco said they wanted to be a good neighbour.

However, when asked about the building schedule - as no-one was working on site - Tesco admitted that there was a four month delay and it would not be completed until mid-July.

Since the Licensing committee hearing work has stopped and the site has remained derelict and an eyesore. This is annoying local residents who feel it is running the area down. Local Councillors have tried twice without success to meet with Tesco and are trying for a third time.

Cllr Paul Crossley (Liberal Democrat, Southdown) commented:

"Tesco are simply failing to live up to their pledge to be a good neighbour. Residents had been looking forward to the new facility the store would provide, but now they are fed up with the way Tesco is treating the area. Tesco needs to deliver on their pledge, get this store completed and start providing a service to residents in the Kingsway area."

Cllr Dine Romero (Liberal Democrat, Southdown) added:

"Many residents keep asking me when the store is going to be finished and what are Tesco playing at. We have tried to speak to them but we kept being told staff changes are happening or people are on holiday. They should come to Southdown and tell the people here why they are leaving this eyesore with us."

ENDS

Phot of Paul and Dine with a number of concerned residents

Sabin Close is a new development in Southdown. It is very dense build but pleasant houses. The problem now is in the adoption of the highway process and the way the footpaths have been laid out. Dine and Paul had a site meeting with Highways and planning. We sent the following information out to residents.

Dear Residents of Sabin Close,

following a complaint we recieved about the grass cutting in Sabin Close we asked for a meeting with officers from the highway and planning sections to discuss the matter. Please see below for detailed response. We are pursuing the matter. However until the land is 'adopted' by the Council it remains the responsibility of the developer to maintain the area. This is standard practice and allows a period of time for snagging problems or defects to be identified which are the developers responsibility to fix before the Council takes on permanent maintenance. The 12 month period only starts once an agreed adoptable road has been agreed between the developer and the Council. We will be working to resolve outstanding issues so that this period can start as swiftly as is possible.

Paul and Dine

Dear Councillors Crossley and Romero,

Following our site meeting this morning, I have investigated this matter further and, as discussed, can now confirm:

1. The S38 adoption plans detail a continuous footway along the eastern channel of Sabin Close and across the full width of the turning head. Where no footways are proposed to be provided there are detailed narrow service strips adjacent to the carriageway. Further , the adoption plans show footway construction for all footway and service strips which, clearly, would minimise maintenance liability as no grass cutting, etc would be required within the adoptable highway.

2. The matter of the lighting column located outside the limits of the adoptable highway needs to be resolved before the adoptable estate street can be placed on 'maintenance' - the 12 month period before final adoption during which the developer is responsible for maintaining the highway and remedying defects, etc. Quite how grassed areas have arisen in areas designated as footways, when footway construction is clearly indicated on the adoption plan, I have been unable to ascertain. Unfortunately, the officer dealing with this matter , is currently on leave and does not return until next week. However, I am copying him into this email with a request that he contacts you regarding this matter as a soon as he is able. His file number is CG2135.

Finally, I am unable to ascertain from information we hold, who is responsible for maintaining the grassed areas discussed that are outside the limits of, but adjacent to the adoptable highway.

Any comments?

Ward: Southdown App Ref: 08/01815/FUL

Registered: 2nd June 2008 Expiry Date: 28th July 2008

Location: 5 Roundhill Grove Southdown Bath BA2 1JT

Proposal: Erection of two-storey rear extension

Ward: Southdown App Ref: 08/02357/FUL

Registered: 27th June 2008 Expiry Date: 22nd August 2008

Location: 43 Mount Road Southdown Bath BA2 1LG

Proposal: Erection of two semi-detached houses on land adjacent

And an appeal decision

 Appeal_14Hillcrest_ecision_Letter.pdf