No Tesco at 84 Manchester Road

The 16 month campaign against the Tesco Express in Chorlton is over, after the Planning Inspectorate found in favour of Tesco at an appeal hearing in July 2008. Despite opposition from hundreds of local residents, independent retailers, councillors and the local MP, the national Planning Inspectorate has overturned the decision by the Manchester City Council Planning Committee to refuse the application.

We argued that the opening of a larger store on the Esso garage site at 84 Manchester Road would lead to a dangerous increase in traffic, illegal parking and congestion, increased risks for pedestrians and children at nearby schools and would threaten the local shops which are a key part of the unique character of Chorlton.

In December 2007, Manchester councillors voted unanimously to refuse the application to build the store. This area is well served by a range of thriving and award-winning independent stores and there has been widespread local opposition to the Tesco application. According to the Planning Committee Chairman, this application received the most objections he could remember. The local councillors and MP also opposed the application.

However, in his report released in August 2008, the Planning Inspector Paul Crysell stated that he believes that the development would not: "undermine the vitality and viability of Chorlton District Centre" and that whilst he appreciated "the wish of many people to maintain the integrity and interest of Chorlton as a shopping destination" he does not "consider the proposed development would damage the quality or character of the Centre."

We disagree, and are extremely disappointed with his decision. We hope very much that the huge amount of opposition shown will translate into poor trading for the store when it opens – let’s vote with our feet! Building is likely to start in the early autumn.

We should also be proud of what we achieved. With some expert planning advice and lots and lots of legwork, we provided reams of evidence proving that, even using planners’ fairly narrow definition of ‘planning grounds’, the development should not go ahead. Presenting this evidence through letter writing, reports to the council, meetings in person and lots of press coverage, the campaign succeeded in taking Tesco's planning application, which the council's planning officer was on the point of rubber stamping, on to the Council's Planning Committee and to the national-level Planning Inspectorate. It delayed Tesco by almost a year and a half, and has been a really useful tool in getting the community thinking about what it wants for Chorlton, and why.

We have also already started work on a new project - see our Chorlton Precinct page

About the campaign

Keep Chorlton Interesting (KCI) was formed in the spring of 2007, after a public meeting was called over Tesco's planning application to convert the Esso petrol station and shop at 84 Manchester Road into a Tesco Express store of 288 sq metres, with an adjoining petrol station. 'Express' stores form a major part of the company's expansion scheme; they plan to double the number to 1200 by 2015, and the application is part of a national partnership between Esso and Tesco, to develop Esso garages with Tesco Express stores attached.

An impressive turnout of around 150 local residents (spilling out of the door of the venue), with lots of energy and ideas, established the desire and the potential of the community to resist the development. We believed it would be to the detriment of highly valued local shops as well as road safety and traffic flow around the site. See our main grounds for opposition here. KCI was established shortly afterwards.

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