12 noon Thursday, Tesco plan NO in Little Common

Objectors had submitted a 325-signature petition to planning committee chairman Cllr Nick Ramus on Wednesday.

Chief planning officer Frank Rallings warned councillors yesterday that the site was zoned for shopping in the Local Plan.

Independent traders, who fear that Tesco Express would acquire the site if permission was given, heard Cllr Brian Kentfield successfully move refusal of the application on grounds of inadequate design.

He said articulated delivery lorries would have to reverse out into the road causing "mayhem".

He said there was no provision in the plan for ventilation or refrigeration.

Cllr John Kemp predicted that a new hospital would have to be built nearer than the Conquest to cope with casualties if lorries and pedestrians shared the same space.

Traders of Little Common made their feelings known ahead of yesterday's decision.

A petition voicing opposition to the possibility of a Tesco store in the village was presented to Cllr Nick Ramus, chairman of the planning committee (pictured).

Businessman Sureshan Thirugnanam of SSD Little Convenient Store, in Bixlea Parade, had collected 200 signatures, with objectors sending letters as well.

He was accompanied by local resident Andrew Crotty, of Glebe Close, who said: "There has been a lot of heated discussion and uproar. We don't want Tesco down here."

A family man who grew up in the area, he felt that if Tesco came to Little Common, local shops would suffer.

"I don't like seeing shops empty - I see enough of that in Bexhill.

"I can't see that Little Common would remain the same. I know a lot of the villagers do support their local shops, but if Tesco came it would be hard. Tesco would put the competition out of business by putting their prices down, and having special offers. The last thing I want to see is this village having most of its shops boarded up."

Stuart Earl said: "As chairman of the Little Common Business Association, I represent members who turn up at meetings to express very clearly that they don't want it.

"My main concerns are for the consumers in Little Common who are well served by the small and independent businesses there, down to personal service at home if they are unwell.

"This will disappear if their businesses are made to be uneconomic.

"It is a shame to make every small village and town the same.

"We don't need it and we don't want it."

Objectors are now bracing themselves for a revised planning application. H45161