Action Briefing Oct 2003- Nov 2003
	The Newsletter of Birmingham Friends of the Earth

West Midlands News

Tesco in Walsall?

Tesco continue to pursue their dream of moving out of Walsall despite some premature press reports to the contrary. Having successfully challenged in the courts the Secretary of State’s decision not to allow them to build a massive car-based superstore outside the Ring Road on Littleton Street and close their town centre store, they are now awaiting a new decision on the proposals.

As with all such court challenges, after Tesco won, the Secretary of State wrote to objectors (including Walsall Friends of the Earth) to illicit further comments and to ask if they wanted the Public Inquiry reopened. Of course, Tesco and the Council argued it should be reopened because the Inspector supported them; but they had no good grounds, for two reasons.

First there was a Ministerial statement on shopping in April which said out-of-centre applicants had to prove there was a quantitative, not just qualitative, need for their store. Tesco, like many other large retailers, were trying to claim their store would be more up market, not that there was a genuine need for more food shops in Walsall.

Secondly, the redevelopers of the Shannon Mill site in the town who want to build a designer outlet centre have put forward proposals to radically improve the current Sainsbury store as part of their development. Since Sainsbury is in the centre of town, and the Shannon Mill development is one Walsall Friends of the Earth has generally supported, this is good news.

As a result, the Secretary of State has refused permission for the Inquiry to be reopened and we are keeping our fingers crossed that he will refuse Tesco again and that the site just outside the Ring Road will be redeveloped, as it should be, for urban housing.

Gerald Kells, Walsall Friends of the Earth