Council U-turn on Tesco

A CROWD of over 100 people protested at a meeting of Moyle Council in Ballycastle last night (Monday) as councillors performed a dramatic U-turn on Tesco.

And in the wake of an impressive display of people power, at 9am on Tuesday over 500 people had logged on to a ‘Facebook’ internet site as the campaign to get Tesco at Leyland Road moved forward at pace.

At the Council the crowd gathered outside the front of Sheskburn House and cheered occasionally as they peered in through the windows of the Council chamber.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Some of the crowd carried placards and many had posters calling for the Council to support Tesco coming to Leyland Road.

Some cars sounded their horns in support of the protesters.

Inside the Council chamber nine of the protesters who want Tesco at Leyland Road packed out the public gallery to lobby councillors but one person in the gallery also said many people living immediately beside the Leyland Road site want a Tesco but not there.

Previously a narrow majority of councillors - made up of a total of seven Sinn Fein and SDLP councillors - voted not to back the Leyland Road site.

On Monday night Sinn Fein councillor Paudie McShane brought forward a plan which he said involved an un-named developer offering 15,000 sq ft of shop space for Tesco in a town centre location at Station Road.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said there would also be an additional 11,000 sq ft of office space on the site.

The four Sinn Fein councillors voted to allow a month to be set aside to see if the Station Road scheme would work,

Sinn Fein councillor Paudie McShane said he believed it would attract “even more jobs to Ballycastle” and if not they would then support Leyland Road.

But eight other councillors - Independents Seamus Blaney, Randal McDonnell and Price McConaghy; the DUP’s Robert McIlroy, George Hartin and David McAllister; Ulster Unionist Willie Graham, and the only SDLP councillor present Madeline Black voted against the Sinn Fein plan.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Then when a proposal by Independent councillor Seamus Blaney for the Council to send a letter of support to planners backing Leyland Road the same eight voted for and Sinn Fein changed their previous position in that they did not vote against. Instead they abstained.

But Cllr Madeline Black voted for this time and her two party colleagues Catherine McCambridge and Orla Black - who previously voted against Leyland Road were absent this time round.

Councillors arriving at the Council meeting were met by a crowd in the car park and the Tesco for Leyland Road supporters have formed a new group called ROBUST which stands for Residents of Ballycastle Unanimously Support Tesco.

They said they formed the group because they felt their voice was not previously being heard.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

One of the organisers of the protest, Martin McCormick, told the Times on Tuesday morning he was delighted with the Council’s change of position but he said planners still have to be persuaded to give Leyland Road the go-ahead.

He said a mammoth blitz of the town to let the feelings of people will now be done and he appealed for anyone who wants a Tesco at Leyland Road to let planners know.

Cllr Graham said thanks to the public there had been a “U-turn we have never seen the like of in this Council chamber”.

Cllr Paudie McShane read out a statement to the meeting which said: “I would like to begin by nailing the myth that my party opposes the introduction of Tescos or any other retailer to Ballycastle. That is a complete untruth. I oppose in the strongest terms, other people speaking on my or my party’s behalf. I recently attended a public meeting were I was introduced as, ‘One of the Shinner’s who opposes Tescos coming to Ballycastle.’

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Because of the introduction I wasn’t given a fair opportunity to relay Sinn Fein party policy on the proposals. People were rightly angry at being denied a voice. That anger manifest itself in a controlled if hostile manner.

“Sinn Fein policy is clear. Sinn Fein oppose the introduction of out of town locations of all multi-national retailers. Sinn Fein are the only party locally who have actively campaigned to have the situation addressed to the benefit of all concerned.

“In Ballycastle today, a hostile atmosphere is building within the community forming two opposing camps and a situation is developing which could lead to a break down in local community relations. Sinn Fein only want what is best for Ballycastle and its residents as a whole, now and in the future.

“To date I and my party have highlighted the need for consumer choice to be made available as the community is demanding. We as a party have worked with the local people of Ballycastle to deliver an opportunity for a win- win situation for all concerned. We believe we have come up with that solution.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Plans have been submitted today to the Planning Office in Coleraine which include proposals for a 15000 square foot retail development in Ballycastle town centre.

“I was aware that Tescos did not want to locate in the town centre because of the lack of substantial retail floor space. This, if approved, has now been overcome. My own feeling is that this store will meet with approval from planners. This store is similar in size to the proposed out of town location. Added to this proposal is office space of 11,500 square feet. If Ballycastle can attract an anchor tenant like Tescos to these new proposals, we will automatically develop a real opportunity for further employment through this additional town centre office space.

“If Tescos has the interest of the people of Ballycastle in mind, then I call on them to look seriously at the proposals I have outlined. I am aware that Tescos are looking favourably at this opportunity,” said Cllr McShane.

The meeting adjourned for a period to allow other councillors and people in the public gallery to view the new plans but in the end the Council voted for the Leyland Road site.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Council Chairperson, Cllr Cara McShane (Sinn Fein), said some of the language being used on the internet in relation to the Tesco issue was “insulting, intimidating and threatening”.

In the public gallery one man said people needed Tesco to come to Ballycastle to avail of cheaper prices for their families and he said he wanted the campaign to be as peaceful as possible.

When Bushmills DUP councillor David McAllister spoke up in favour of Tesco at Leyland Road members of the public gallery clapped in support.

Meanwhile, Tesco has confirmed it’s continued commitment to Ballycastle and is calling on the silent majority of supporters in Ballycastle to make their voice heard.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Corporate Affairs Manager for Tesco in Northern Ireland, Colin Hampsey, said: “As a company, we are still passionate about bringing a Tesco store to Ballycastle. Our feedback, including responses from questionnaires sent to all homes across the Moyle area, from comment cards filled in at our public exhibitions and also from discussions with locals, has indicated that it is what the majority of people in the town want.

“We will be consulting further through meetings with residents, elected representatives to ensure that all viewpoints are taken onboard and considered in our plans for Leyland Road.

“As Cllr Blaney pointed out in recent press, there are no suitable options for a Tesco store in the town centre and Leyland Road provides the best base from which we could service the community.”

A revised application for a 15,000 sq ft store on Leyland Road was submitted to Planning Service in early 2009.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Hampsey continued: “We have found that when a Tesco store is on the edge of a town, it can have a positive effect on trade for other local businesses. We believe that if planning permission is granted to open a store on Leyland Road, there is the potential for us to work with other Ballycastle traders, benefiting all.

“A 15,000 sq ft store would allow us to provide a varied range of competitively-priced products. This is slightly larger than the Portstewart store and would complement the offerings already provided by other traders in the town, mainly selling food allowing local people to access their weekly shopping at competitive prices and cutting down on their carbon footprint and the need to travel to other towns such as Coleraine and Ballymoney for this service.”

Traffic consultants work closely with Tesco to ensure that road safety and ease of congestion is taken into account in all plans. Mr Hampsey added: “Our specialist consultants look at all the options to ensure that our positioning and road layout is the safest possible design for pedestrians and drivers.

Tesco currently spends more than 480 million each year with food and drink suppliers across Northern Ireland, who in turn work with around 3,000 local farmers stretching across the agricultural industries.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Hampsey concluded: “I would like to thank local residents for their continued support to bring Tesco to Ballycastle, and also those local councillors who have been supportive throughout. Many people have taken the time to talk to us or have gone online to www.tescoballycastle.com to pledge their support.

“I was delighted to be invited to the Public Meeting on Friday 23rd April by local residents and encouraged by their support. This further demonstrates that there is overwhelming support for the proposed store and now that the silent majority have spoken, hopefully local elected representatives will take on board their comments. We also hope that Planning Service will take the views of local people into account when they are making their decisions on our proposals.”

Related topics: