Margot meets Tesco representatives to discuss new store plans
2nd June 2010
Margot meets Tesco representatives to discuss the company’s plans for a flagship store in the Crown Centre, Stourbridge Town Centre.
Tony Fletcher, Corporate Affairs Manager of Tesco Properties and a colleague met with Margot James MP in Parliament yesterday to discuss the company’s plans for a flagship store in the Crown Centre, Stourbridge Town Centre.
Margot, who last week expressed support for the plans overall, had questions for Tesco about disabled access, the width of car park bays, opportunities to make the town centre more cyclist friendly, the effect on other retailers, employment and skills training. Margot made the following comments on the proposals:
1. We have the opportunity to improve cycle access to the Town Centre by establishing a cycle lane alongside the new entrance to the town at Bell Street. This would have the added benefit of completing a local part of the Sustrans national cycle network. Margot requested that Tesco lend their support to this cycling friendly development and Mr Fletcher committed to discussing the opportunity with Dudley Council lead member for highways Cllr. Angus Adams and having the Tesco Highways Consultant contact the director of the Stourbridge Bicycle Users Group, Mr Russell Eden.
2. Margot said that it was vital that we take the opportunity of the development of the Crown Centre and new parking facilities to improve access for people with disabilities. Mr Fletcher said that this was always an important consideration for Tesco who abided by the latest best practice, in addition to the law, with regarding to improving access. Mr Fletcher undertook to meet with the Dudley Council Disability Forum and discuss the best ways of making a visit to the Crown Centre a positive shopping experience for wheelchair users, their carers and people with disabilities.
3. Margot mentioned all the problems that had gathered round the Bell Street Car Park last year with people racing cars and making noise at night. She asked about car park security and was reassured to hear that there would be CCTV and 24 hour monitoring of the new car park.
4. Margot discussed training and employment opportunities with Mr Fletcher. Tesco are committed to training and development of staff. In most stores managers are targeted with having 10% of their staff on training at any one time. Tesco are also committed to helping long term unemployed access their training courses to staff up new stores. Margot advised that Stourbridge College had done fantastic work with Westfield with the establishment of a ‘Retail Academy’ and Mr Fletcher mentioned that they had been approached by Kim Babb of Stourbridge College in this regard.
5. Finally Margot spoke up for the independent retailers in Stourbridge Town Centre and called for Tesco to be a good neighbour in the town. Margot was reassured by the positive statistics for the impact of a new Tesco store in a town centre rather than in an out of town site. Tony Fletcher quoted research from other town centre store openings in which on average 46% of people visiting the store also visited one or more neighbouring retail outlets and that there is predicted to be a sales benefit to local retailers equivalent to 20% of the turnover in the Tesco store.
