Save our Sheringham - Say NO to Tesco

This website is being used to publicise the campaign by Sheringham residents against plans for a Tesco supermarket. This store will be built on our existing Fire Station and Community Centre and will also see the demolition of an apartment block. It will destroy trade at our existing town centre shops and cause traffic mayhem. We do have a need for a better food shop in Sheringham but we need one proportional to our size (7000 people) not one designed to serve 38,000. Let's Keep Sheringham Special.

The Development Control Committee on Friday 22nd Nov 2007 decided by unanimous decision(17-0) to refuse the Tesco application and to amend their position at appeal to the be same.  
The  planning appeal was heard on 1st July 2008 at NNDC, Cromer.
The Inspectors decision : she has refused Tesco permission to build a store in Sheringham as it would "have an unacceptable impact on the retail function, vitality and viability of Sheringham town centre".

Read the full report here -Appeal Decision

Tesco announce new application will be for a store of 1200sqm. This is still 450sqm larger than the Local Plan guidelines.  

LATEST
See the current Tesco planning application on the NNDC website -
 
A decision on this application ( and on the Greenhouse store) was taken on 4th March 2010
The councillors refused Tesco permission but approved the Greenhouse application going against the recommendation of the officers.
The council has decided to take legal advice before issuing the terms of the refusal.
 
 
===========================================================================

More objection details added to the Take action page.

05/02/2007 - Tesco submit revised store application. plans

Planning ref. 20070217

03/10/2006 -The campaign reaches Downing St.

 Budgens food store  brochure 1, 2, 3, 4,

See the latest Tesco brochure with plans and marketing hype, page 1,2,3,4,5 and some questions and the response from Sheringham Chamber of Trade

Planning Inquiry details

Tescopoly

How and Why to stop the supermarkets.

Secret deals

Secret deal causes U-turn

District Council documents for Tesco inc. plans and minutes

Print a Poster

Keep Sheringham Special

 

For the last 11 years Sheringham has been fighting to prevent a Tesco supermarket being built on the edge of the Town Centre. Despite North Norfolk District Councillors previously voting 20-0 to reject the application Tesco appealed and whilst waiting for the Inquiry to be started the councillors collapsed under the legal restrictions imposed by and the financial might wielded by Tesco and indicated that they would finally back an application by 10 votes to 2 : scared that to oppose it would land the council with a huge financial cost. A previous quote from John Sweeney , former North Norfolk District Council Leader, stated that " they [Tesco] are too big and powerful for us. If we try and deny them they will appeal, and we cannot afford to fight a planning appeal and lose. If they got costs it would bankrupt us."
This is not the end. Sheringham Chamber of Trade, Scamrod (Sheringham Campaign against Major Retail Overdevelopment), Futures4us, Sheringham Preservation Society and other residents have vowed to continue the fight. With the support of residents from the whole of North Norfolk, many who are fed-up with big business calling the shots, it is still possible to prevent the store getting permission. When Tesco put in their next planning application we must all be ready to write, phone, email and shout that we do not want the store. Moreover, the application should be called in by the Planning Inspectorate due to the nature of the agreement between the council and Tesco. On this website there will be suggestions of places to look for more information on how to form your appeals, the key items to raise and contacts for the Council and Councillors. In the meantime sharpen your pencils and prepare your placards, the final battle has just begun!

Keep up-to-date with the campaign by reading the blog.

Or use the Save our Sheringham "swicki" to search for related information.