Article Six

The great Tesco debate
HARROGATE is the last UK mainland postcode area to not have a Tesco mega store. Since November 2007 when planning permission was filed by Tesco to the Harrogate council which was declined, debate about this issue has raged.
Since then Tesco has filed even more proposals in order for the mega store to be built at New Park off Skipton Road. The latest application to be filed was on the 3rd of July, this year. Tesco want the application to be passed by mid October in order for the building work to commence. The proposal has some changes to it in order to keep the peace such as reduction of the retail space by 25% and making the store environmentally formatted to reduce energy consumption. Tesco also claim that the store will provide 360 new jobs for local people that lead to career development opportunities. A spokesperson for Tesco said “The new store will be cleaning up an eyesore by rejuvenating the Oak Beck area and bringing a public footbath back into use. It will offer hundreds of jobs as getting a job at the moment is quite a struggle with barely any work available in Harrogate. It will also make it easier for the local people to do their food shopping as they won’t have to travel into the town centre.”
A source claims “Harrogate council would allow it if they believed the community wouldn’t be in uproar about it.” Many community members are strongly against the idea with an online poll showing 44% for Tesco and 56% against it. Many people say ‘Harrogate is unique. We should keep it that way’. May Taylor (63), a local from the New Park community said “It will ruin New Park and the store itself will be the eyesore. New park is lovely as it is now and there are enough supermarkets in Harrogate for people to make their purchases. It will cause problems in the area as Skipton Road is already a busy road and to make it busier is mad. It’ll be gridlocked all the time.”
Harrogate council are still considering the latest application. In the mean time debating on the Tesco debate website has increased as opposition group’s marshal their support.

Tiffany Jackson