New round of Tesco battle

RESIDENTS of Hadleigh are divided today as the town prepares to discuss one of its most controversial issues.

Hadleigh Town Council is holding an extraordinary town council meeting on Tuesday to examine proposals to build a Tesco store in the town.

When the plans have been under the microscope at previous meetings around 600 people have tried to attend and the doors have had to be shut as a result.

So this time the council is giving out 200 free tickets on a first-come-first-served basis for those that want to attend.

David Grutchfield, a town councillor and Babergh District Councillor, said he was expecting feelings to run high at the meeting.

He said: “We'll have tickets for people because when we've had meetings in Hadleigh before when there have been major issues we've had to close the door for controversial issues like this.

“Once we had to abandon a meeting.

“The town has been divided on this issue for many years and the application doesn't meet everyone's requirements.

“At the meeting there is a section on the agenda for people to air their views and after we've heard everything the town council will vote on it and that will be passed onto the district council.”

Food giant Tesco formally submitted a planning application to Babergh District Council in February, seeking permission to build a new store in the market town.

Since the company first submitted plans in 1999 the issue has starkly divided the town, with the plans rejected at a November 2000 public inquiry.

According to the new application, the store on the town's Brett Works site would measure some 3,055 sq metres and would be accessed from Bridge Street. Pedestrian and cycle links from the High Street are also proposed.

Do you want to see a Tesco in Hadleigh? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich IP4 1AN or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk.