'We are NOT against Tesco' - Chamber

He was speaking after the issue was raised again last week at a Moyle Council meeting when Independent councillor Seamus Blaney made a bid for the Council to support the current plans for a site outside the town centre at Leyland Road.

Recently a majority of councillors voted not to support the Tesco plan at Leyland Road but other councillors are keen to see the multi-national set up in the town, whether the location is in the town centre or at Leyland Road.

Sinn Fein and the SDLP already voted against supporting the Leyland Road site and Cllr Blaney said both parties have been getting a hot reception on the doorsteps over the issue and he is predicting a U-turn at a future Council meeting.

Meanwhile, Paul Cochrane said it is important for traders in Ballycastle to tell people they are not against Tesco coming to a central location with an appropriately sized store.

He said: “We had a very poor news item about Tesco this week. It is very important that ‘WE’ as a chamber keep reminding our customers at every chance, that Chamber supports any multi national coming to our town.

“Chamber's only problem with the Tesco plan is the size and location. We have constantly promoted a town centre location, recently showing our plan to the Environment Minister, Edwin Poots, and also providing Tesco with plans for a town centre shopping centre at the last meeting we had with them.

“We have been working with Council on this matter with positive debate both for and against this project, but positive debate not the negative comments that we read this week. What do we look like to other towns when we are using a taxi driver to conduct surveys?”

Cllr Blaney told the Times this week: “Quite a lot of people have been letting the SDLP and Sinn Fein know their feelings on the Tesco issue as the parties have been going round the doors looking for votes coming up to the General Election and it will be interesting to see what sort of U-turn they do on the issue in the next few weeks.

“Many people just want to see Tesco coming to the town - where ever it is - be it at Leyland Road or in the town centre so they can avail of the prices and not have to travel out of the town to do their weekly shopping.

“The Chamber of Commerce keeps saying they want a town centre location but that is because they know there is no suitable site in the town centre.

“As for the taxi driver survey he just asked people in his cab what they thought about the issue. What is wrong with that?” said Cllr Blaney.