The plans for a new Tesco superstore in Corby are creating quite a stir - town centre leaders have claimed they could be catastrophic for traders if they go ahead.
Dan Pickard, director of Land Securities, the owner of the town centre, said the out-of-town plan should be rejected.
Mr Pickard said: “If the Tesco plan goes ahead at the St James industrial estate it will have a devastating and catastrophic effect on the town centre.
“We have worked extremely hard to improve the shopping centre which now attracts 150,000 shoppers a week. We can’t sit back and see that success endangered. I will be addressing the meeting in the hope of convincing councillors not to approved this out-of-town development. History has shown us the serious effect out-of-town stores have on town centres. We have a lot of support. Our campaign to safeguard the future of Corby town centre has received a huge amount of backing.”
Plans for the Tesco superstore, off Oakley Road, which promises to create 500 new jobs, will be debated next Wednesday at a meeting of Corby Council’s development control committee.
Mr Pickard will be at the meeting with other representatives of Land Securities, as well as worried town centre traders, to try to convince councillors of their concerns in allowing the Tesco store to be built.
Owner of Bhanu Fashions, in the town centre, Yads Tailor, who is opposing the Tesco plan, said: “In areas where there have been large out-of-town developments, they have killed off town centre trade. We should be continuing to build on the town centre success we have already enjoyed and many of my customers agree with me.”
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