Felixstowe: Town centre Tesco “could close in five years” if superstore approved

16 comments

• I seem to remember a similar thing in Ipswich when Sainsbury's built Warren Heath and then Hadleigh Road - with the concern being the town centre store would close. Well it's still there, been refurbished, and I'm told doing fine. I know Ipswich is much bigger, but you're unlikely to get a 'we will never close' statement from any company as retail changes so much.

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  Renbud

  Wednesday, March 6, 2013

• Elise - there may be a fair few around central Felixstowe but in Trimley, there is almost nothing bar pretty expensive local little shops, certainly not suitable for doing a weekly shop, nor financially viable. For us, we have to get in the car and drive or get a taxi to do shopping...to be able to have the same facilities as others who are more central would be great and it would keep the pennies in the town rather than the Ipswich retail parks where we can do a supermarket shop and look around other shops all with easy parking (albeit restricted on time) Re the shops in Walton missing out, well you can't beat the bakery for their cakes and breads and I would still go there rather than anywhere else, purely because of the quality, no supermarket can beat them on taste! For information, I am not greedy, just someone who would like life just a little easier...on my pocket and my car fuel bill whilst also doing my eco bit by not using my car so much!

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  Sue cuthbert

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• I spend a lot of my summer time in Felixstowe and i must admit i find the town shops very good compared to some other towns. In the five years that i have been coming to Felixstow i have only used the Tesco store on two occasions I find that i do most of my shopping in the local Co-op mainlly due to the fact that they stock a good range of local products so not only do i support a local shop in the high street but also the local producers who i think do need our help Good luck to Tesco but long live the locals

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  Bert

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• What a lot of hysterical nonsense from the town councillors. 5 years is a pretty long term guarantee in today's climate, what do they expect? Change is coming, get on and adapt and stop running round like rabbits caught in the headlights. I shop almost everyday in the High St and get a large fortnightly shop delivered by Tesco ordered via the internet. Great if that can come from closer to home.

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  paul

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• For those concerned about the 'Town Centre' suffering, please be aware that our local community runs from Trimley St Martin to Old FelixstoweSouth Felixstowe etc. The proposed Walton Green location is almost equi-distant from these two ends of the local community, Hamilton Road however isn't. Therefore the 'Centre' is the ideal spot for building a new Supermarket, not this out-dated street which is conveniently near the Sea which the council seems fit to ruin by hiking up rates and removing parking areas ! I think its been said many times before but just to re-iterate that many many people I know drive out of town to do their shop, we build a Tesco and money stays in the town.. simples.

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  Dave Martin

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• Can you not see Sue that for a town of this size we have enough stores, how many more do you want.Years ago families managed with the corner shops.People are so greedy today they must have full cupboards and freezers.

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  Elise Moreton

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• I would not usually venture specifically into Felixstowe town to visit Tesco during daytime trading hours unless everywhere else was closed. If I go specifically into town to this Tesco then it is between 8pm and 10pm and mainly because parking is easier once the town is shut and because Morrison’s would generally be shut. I only visit this Tesco during daytime trading hours if I am in the town anyway doing the banking etc. For me losing the Tesco in town would not deter me from visiting the town during the day or take my business away from other shops in the town during the day unless the bank was to move out of town, then I would have no reason to visit. Losing the Tesco in town would (in my circumstances) encourage me to shop more at other local shops in town for my lunch. Maybe for the people against the new Walton store, it is not a case of being against having more choice locally, but more about the actual location of the store in relation to their homes and so these people are trying to find reasons why the store should not be built?? I personally would like more food shopping choice locally and lower prices and I believe that a development such as this would bring a large number of jobs into the area, not just through the store being open for business, but also for the local trades people who would hopefully help with the build of the store and the ongoing general maintenance.

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  Ashley Barrett

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• So what if the Tesco metro store closed would be alot better to have it in walton at least your be able to park and more varity. The Anti group are never going to agree with any thing that we want most people want the store and we dont get a say. Who are the councillors for This town any way they need to wake up. I still dont get how ANY store there would effect walton or town center Shops theres no great shops unless you want charity shops as they seem to be the way forward these days. We dont get a store in walton people will still travel out prob even more. Get with the times and let us have tesco store

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  Antony Perkins

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• I have to congratulate Homeofstowe for submitting a totally rational and cohesive response, which I absolutely and totally agree with. No histrionics and rantings like many anti's, just basic facts and considered opinion. Sadly the bored Nimby's of Felixstowe are presiding over the gradual erosion of this town as a sensible shopping centre. Change is inevitable, lets try and reverse that trend and encourage new developements such as this and the benefits they bring.

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  Weary Traveller

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• Here we go again! Yet more hot air from the anti's. There is nothing to say the small Tesco will close, but what if it does? Plenty of other choice or use the new one! Simples! If it doesn't close then more choice. The sham of all this is the unwillingness of the anti's to accept that many people DO want the new store, me included, Living in a democracy I accept their views but I disagree. What I do agree with strongly is that unless we encourage this sort of development, the already stagnating shopping town rots even faster. And as Sue Cuthbert points out, I assume Elise is referring to the royal "we" as her views are by far not universal.

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  Disbeliever

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• Is that the royal we Elise? You certainly don't speak for me. What you should have said is "I don't want you here" Some of us do actually want a store, any store be it Tesco or another big name, in that end of Felixstowe to reduce the amount of travelling we have to do and the prices we have to pay if travelling a distance is not possible.

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  Sue cuthbert

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• When are Tesco going to listen we DONT want you here. End of.

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  Elise Moreton

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• So now Tesco’s are our friends??? ‘Community leaders have reacted with horror’… what do they expect, firstly they worry about how much business a new superstore would take from the high street so appose the plans meaning that many of us will continue to take our weekly shopping trade to MartleshamCopdock etc. Then, when they’ve got what they want (plans apposed) its as if Tesco are the most important business in town, drawing customers in from far and wide to shop at other local shops – you cant have it both ways you so called ‘Community Leaders’. From the reports it seems that all, but one, of the councillors apposed the plans and probably were only taking in to account the views of the ‘No’ campaigners rather than the relatively quiet ‘Yes’ camp. But when you read back the comments people put on that report it was clear the majority wanted the new store. Co-op and Morrisons are overpriced (Lidl don’t stock enough selection for me) so I travel out of town to shop, whilst im there I buy other items such as dvds, cds, kitchenware, bed linen, cards, games, towels etc If I need a ‘specialist’ item then I go in to the town centre in Felixstowe. I don’t use the local Tesco Metro purely because of selection and parking. We should be welcoming Tesco’s money to the town, the additional jobs it will bring (some may go in other local places but ultimately there will be more) and not driving them away with a flea in their ear. Tesco could pull out of the town tomorrow, let alone guarantee 5 years if the new store is built. If the Metro has to close in 5 years then it would make a lovely site to put all the charity shops in one place, keeping down their overall rent and freeing up other shops for all those local businesses that everyone keeps talking about.

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  Homeofstowe

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• Just because Tesco are willing to sign a document to say that the Tesco Metro will remain open for a minimum if 5 years doesn't mean that they have any plans to close it. As usual this is getting blown out of proportion.

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  Pepperpotty

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• Shock....Horror....What are we going to do without a Teeny Tesco to shop at? Don't worry, folks, you can always go to Solar or Morrisons or Lidl or Spar or M&S or Iceland, so it doesn't really matter.

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  cwayconslt

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013

• This is yet more blackmail by Tesco (i.e. conditionality with barely-hidden threats) and I hope the people who make the decision tell this vampire horsemeat-monger where to go.

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  T Doff

  Tuesday, March 5, 2013