Town's concerns over Tesco expansion

12 January 2007 08:50

Civic leaders in south Norfolk are limbering up for a fight this year to stop one of the UK's biggest multinationals from taking another huge chunk of a leading market town.

Over the last few years councillors in Diss have become increasingly worried by the growth of Tesco - a company that did not have a presence in the town until last year.

Then it replaced the Co-op supermarket on the A1066 Victoria Road - the spine of the town - and started a war with next-door neighbour Safeway, which has subsequently rebranded as a Morrisons store and doubled in size.

As the two supermarkets started to compete for customers, Tesco responded by buying a derelict factory and a large piece of accompanying land on the other side of Morrisons.

Discussions were entered into with South Norfolk Council - believed to be about creating a mammoth superstore on the new site, which could see the old one converted into a homeware-only store.

But councillors are increasingly worried that three major supermarkets on the edge of the town centre would rip the heart out of Diss and see many of its well-loved smaller independent shops forced to close.

What's more, they see the former Hamlin factory site, on the A1066 Park Road, as the ideal space to develop much-needed leisure facilities for the town, and at the same stroke remove an unloved eyesore.

Part of the land that would be needed for any new development is South Norfolk Council owned, including the bus station, giving councillors leverage against the retail giants.

The town council and South Norfolk Council are in early talks on what could potentially go in the space - and are buoyed by the local development framework specifying it should be used for leisure activities.

Yesterday district councillor and town mayor Brian Clark-Taylor said: "We would be very, very annoyed if we had another large supermarket here. What we need on the south side of Park Road is leisure facilities.

"South Norfolk Council owns some of that land and I would be extremely disappointed if they sold it to a super-market. We want to get something moving in that area and South Norfolk Council hold the key.

"The Park Road site is derelict land in the centre of town and provides a great opportunity to develop Diss. We're pressuring the council to get something done about it - and quickly."

Alan Gomm, South Norfolk Council planning policy manager, said: "The site has been derelict for some time and we very much appreciate the importance of this site to Diss. It is our intention to put together an area action plan for Diss, south of Park Road."

His colleague, development control manager Paul Whitham, added: "The site is allocated for retail and leisure in the South Norfolk Local Plan, and in the past various discussions have taken place on possible development of the site. These have never resulted in planning applications being considered."

A spokesman for Tesco did not return calls.

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