General Discussion
Why Tesco - or any major supermarket - will KILL off Dawlish
There's talk of Tesco in Dawlish. There's even talk of "benefits" of Tesco here. But Tesco is not some lovely "wealth-sharing" organisation. They are here to clean up - make money, and they'll do it any which way they can. At the moment they say they want to build on Sandy Lane. To those who think this is a good idea - please think again. It will mean tearing up a well-used leisure facility, a beautiful green space... Then replacing it with thousands of tons of concrete, steel and tarmac... Then the lorry deliveries, 24/7 with pollution and noise, blocking up roads, causing more pollution... Then the cars for 8000 plus shoppers a day (NOT all from Dawlish obviously) ... Then the cars that will have to drive Dawlish residents, football teams, etc, to other leisure facilities... Then the lack of trade going to the town centre... If you bear in mind all this, you'll see why any other major supermarket will KILL off Dawlish.
You might think it's better because it's closer to town, more convenient, people won't drive there - you're VERY mistaken. MORE people will drive there because they'll have MORE to carry home (because supermarkets are designed that way - to make you buy more stuff and bigger stuff) and you can't easily carry all those shopping bags back home. Plus there will be the lure of that lovely tarmac'd free carpark - yet another weapon against the town centre traders! So, as you're going to have to drive, then why not leave things as they are? Our town is already suffering. A major supermarket close to town will be the final nail in the coffin!
I'm surprised, looking at other posts on this site, at how unconcerned many Dawlish residents seem about the potential loss of the Sandy Lane sporting facilities. Just for an exploitive major supermarket. I like my food, but really! Where are the alternative sporting facilities in Dawlish? Or is the consensus that all of us locals should now join the worst of the holidaymakers wobbling up and down the Strand.
Come on, really! You can do better than that!
No one knows if the land is for sale or not. It probably depends if the price is right. To be honest if Tesco or any other major supermarket are interested in this land or any other land then i expect there is not a lot we can do about it, money talks!!.
I shop at Tesco but I don't buy my meat or veg there, i shop local for that so i don't think it will affect local business.
Tesco acts like many other large companies, they will usually buy the land, sit on it, each year their lawyers will apply for licensing and then after many attempts (and possibly years) will then get the permission from the councils. Thats how it works. If only we knew how much land Tesco indirectly owns and sits on!
And talking of land banking......it also means that houses can't be built on the land that the supermarkets own but have not built on.
Such philanthropic organisations, I don't think!
Let them come.
It means jobs for Dawlish people, more economic activity and price competition with the other local food shops.
Food prices are rocketing now. Tesco is able to dictate tight terms to suppliers.
Of course Tesco pays local rates ! It also employs young people for whom there are precious few jobs.
As for the dribble that the original poster comes up about how polluting it is to drive to the supermarket - what unmitigated nonsense.
Its a free country, and the OP is the authoritarian that he/she professes to be against.
If he feels so strongly about consumerism, let him/her go and live in the Outer Hebrides and eat seaweed from the beaches.
...Oh and he/she should stop wasting electricity online.
I think you are missing the point completely!
We are so far unaware of the actual floor space Tesco are looking to build, but we do know that it can only be a Tesco Express which wouldn't necessarily receive 24hr lorry deliveries anyway. (I am sure Teignbridge can stipualate no night deliveries on the lease agreement!)
There is also no way that a large Tesco store can fit into the Football ground plus a car park so you are not looking at the scale or size of Newton Abbot or Exeter.... which also means that the thousands of people you mention would not come to Dawlish anyway but will continue in their stores.
Also, whilst Tesco are very ruthless and want to make money, they equally need to ensure that each store maximises its potential, there will be a Tesco in Exminster, Dawlish and Teignmouth, it can be argued that each of these purely compliment the larger stores and are a convenience to all of us. So why would people in Teighnmouth and its surrounding areas come to Dawlish when they will have one there and why would people in Exminster and surrounding areas come to Dawlish, they wouldn't would they!
Don't forget how much money is lost when we go further afield for our groceries, I for one fill up my tank of fuel at Tesco Exeter because it is cheaper and because I am there, however if I have no reason to go there then I have no reason to fill up there, so Marine Garage will benefit from more of my fuel on a weekly basis! I take my camera films too, purely because I shop there, but the newsagents in Dawlish would benefit from my films because I would shop at Tesco Dawlish where film processing would not be available.
There are probably many more things that we currently buy at the large stores that take the revenue away from Dawlish....
Dawlish Tesco Express would serve the needs of Dawlish locals and passers by, it will bring prices down in Dawlish as a whole, it will save Pensioners money as lets face it, they are paying well over the odds in the other supermarkets, it will bring in employment, including many part time jobs for mothers, students etc, Tesco also encourages older people to work in its stores, this is also good for retired people who may still want to work and be active!
Maybe 'DADS' should consider the needs of the mums too!
You can put your questions to tesco's direct at their public exhibition at the langstone cliff hotel on friday december 7th 12noon to 7pm or saturday december 8th 10am to 4pm.
Well, its been 8 months since the new Coop opened, and i feel they really havent thought about its set up at all. Its coming up to christmas (busiest time of the year), all the back tills are closed,(which incidently only seemed to be opened for the 1st few weeks as to give a good impression), so any of us who like to do a big family shop , have to trail all our shopping down the thin isles, avoiding other shoppers, only to find when we get down there, not all the checkouts are open! Also, many of the offers on the shelf edges, dont seem to appear on our receipts, so we think we are getting an offer, and we then have to go to the kiosk to get it corrected!After queuing for 10 mins, having to pack our own bags, and getting the occasional grunt out of the staff, we then have to fight our way all the way back to the back of the store to get back up the stairs to the car park! Come on Coop, is it any wonder people cant wait to get a Tescos in Dawlish!!!
Dads is considering the needs of the Mums and the kids! In fact everyone who uses the playing fields at Sandy Lane. Sandy Lane is just not the right place for a supermarket of any kind because it is a recreational area!.
Also, I understand that one of the reasons it was deemed (by whom?) that Dawlish needs a supermarket is that it would stop the car trips to Exeter and N.Abbot to do the weekly household supermarket shop. Well....if we only have a Tesco Express it won't stop that happening will it?
And no, I'm not advocating that the supermarket should be larger. I am only advocating that a supermarket of whatever size should not be located in the vicinity of Sandy Lane for reasons stated above
Given the consistant negative postings about Dawlish, any large Supermarket would be mad to set up here. Their trade will be from outside, not local. It is a known fact that people like to shop away, something about the grass greener on the other side or a day out.. drive in a car!
If Tesco is the only thing that is going to make some people in Dawlish actually smile and be positive about (whats that word) I am amazed.
It's called change. Get over it and move on.
Someone probably objected to my house being where it is 30 years ago - but no one gives a toss now do they?
We are talking about a supermarket being built in a recreational area.! Where it is planned a youth club and skate park are to be built for goodness sake. I don't care where the flaming thing gets located as long as it is not in the Sandy Lane area.
What a twit the Emperor Solarzoom IV is, apart from the benefit of jobs for the young, what about the lorries and traffic during the tourist season it's bad enough now, but Dawlish will become gridlocked if they are allowed here.
Please dont reply with an idiotic comment such as 'if you dont like it move'
I went to Newton Abbot today to purchase an item i couldn't get locally and thought of calling into tesco on my way home,then i spotted a somerfield and called in to see what it had to offer. The shelves were well stocked and the staff very pleasant. What a contrast to our very sad co-op. YES WE ARE IN NEED OF A DECENT SUPERMARKET.