Tesco Express is not local

Those of us who live in Felpham have been through all this.

The same feelings: there are plenty of existing local shops, so local people don’t need a Tesco Express; it’ll add traffic to an already clogged road; and so on.

Although Felpham had the opportunity of the planning process to offer reasons for objection, and many of the district councillors didn’t really like the idea either, we got it anyway.

But you have to remember that a Tesco Express is not primarily intended for local people.

Where’s the evidence for saying that?

Here: the planning application said the Felpham shop was ideally situated for people to walk, cycle, and use public transport, so I put forward the thought that therefore they didn’t need the 16 car parking spaces on the plan.

The truth came out when the shop’s manager said – at a parish council meeting last autumn – ‘you can see how successful we are by the number of cars in the car park’.

In other words, the bulk of their customers don’t live around the corner!

It’ll be the same with the Bersted Tesco Express, but there’s no point belly-aching and saying ‘I won’t use it’, because lots of other people will.

Tesco’s main obligation is to their shareholders and they know there are plenty of people prepared to drive, and pay a small uplift on the main Tesco prices, for the convenience of easy parking at a Tesco Express.

Geoffrey Farrell

Felpham