Is the party still on or was Tesco's application to build a superstore on the former Thurso Mart site just a spoiler to prevent Asda getting a foothold in the North as was suggested at the time? :confused
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Is the party still on or was Tesco's application to build a superstore on the former Thurso Mart site just a spoiler to prevent Asda getting a foothold in the North as was suggested at the time? :confused
Tesco have bought the land. Appartently they are going to build but who knows. I don't think they bought it as a one over on asdas. Thats quite childish to have as a opinion.
Tescos have a reputation of buying land to stop compeditors buying and building on it.
They sure do. Bought land here where I am just now, massive site, apparently to build a super store, but we already have a large tesco round the corner.... The site had a super bowl etc. on it, all forced to close, now been vacant for several years....
I don't think they will ever build there but tried to stop Somerfield.... it was in the local paper that they put in for some outrageous planning permission and it was suggested that they want to stretch the planning process out as long as possible. The Tesco round the corner is not exactly small and suits quite well for the size of town, also there is a super store larger than Wick just 20 minutes from here...
However, we don't have a Somerfield here at all, as they can't find a suitable site.
I dont want to start rumors. But the store that is meant to be built at the mart will only have groceries and electrical. Not clothing.
But then, the old store over beside the Park hotel, will be changed into flats or another business to prevent another supermarket coming in.
But dont take my word!! :eek:
Ha, that's exactly what they are doing here.
Part of their plannning application is to rip the old site down (it's not old though...) and build housing. Now thats very unlikely to be granted in the next 10 years or so... as the local plan doesn't allow for such changes.
If they really wanted to build on the new site they could just rent out the old site to a company that doesn't belong to the competition, like a storage warehouse type thing or something like that.
I found this on the Highland Council's Weekly Planning Applications list....
Thurso
Ward-02
Ref Number 08/00494/REMCA Application Type Approval of Reserved Matters
Validation Date 13/11/2008 Grid Reference 311157 967763
Description of Works Erection of retail store,
Location of Works Thurso Auction Mart, Ormlie Road, Thurso, Highland, ,
Community Council Thurso Community Council
Applicant Name Santon Retail Limited
Applicant Address Tesco Stores Limited, Per Agent
Case Officer Iain Ewart
(01955) 607757
[email protected]
I don't know what the outcome was and I haven't been able to find anything more recent on the web.
Seems this Tesco thread might keep going - must admit wondered when they would start the building work, but present economic climate ain't that good at the moment.. just a refresh from last year- obviously we all now know Tesco got the site, so time will tell when they eventually start..
10-Apr-08, 14:19
Tesco Does Have The Mart Hi Folks I've been sitting on this for a while since 27th March/4th April 08 but just had this email in from Douglas Wilson Corporate Affairs Manager, Scotland and Northern Ireland (Tesco)
Dear [Bekisman] "We are issuing a press release today [10th April] so please feel free to post this info on [the] website."
"to confirm our conversation, we have purchased the Auction Mart site in Thurso.. we are actively pursuing a development on the site and hope to be in a position to discuss this further with local councillors and the wider Thurso community in the near future" regards Doug
Douglas Wilson
Corporate Affairs Manager
Scotland and Northern Ireland
(I asked if this was confidential and he came back with the proviso; "I would appreciate a degree of confidentially for perhaps the next few weeks"..)
Bit of history to show that these big conglomerates are approachable.. I emailed Sir Terry Leahy at Tesco on 27th March 08 and asked if they had purchased the site and were they going to sit on it? (which not a few on the Org thought!) at 16.47 I got a reply from Anna Margot the Chief Executive's Office who said she had forwarded my email onto Nick Gellatly; Corporate Affairs Manager for the Thurso area.
On the 4th April at 11.21 had a phone call from Douglas Wilson, Corporate Affairs Manager, Scotland and Northern Ireland and he told me that yes, they have purchased the Mart site in Thurso, and no, they will not just 'sit' on it, and are building a 30,000 square foot store plus fuel outlet. They are not sure at the moment what to do with the smaller Tesco/Somerfield store but will probably be sublet..
He asked if I would like him to send me a confirmation email I said yes and at 11.55 on the 4th April he sent the one above..
Tesco rent to Asda? I take it you are having a wee joke, or extracting the wee??
The Loafer
i heard some time ago that travel lodge had been quite interested in the tesco site...dont know if there was anything in it......but just like everything else its all speculation.....i personally reckon it will be like when they built in wick...nothing but speculation for months then voila suddenly in go the bulldozer an 8mth later tesco appears...if it happens it happens....
Should I assume from the above that nothing has happened on-site at the mart and that no-one has any first-hand knowledge of what the present state of play is? :(
Thanks tonkatojo. I can't see Asda entering the fray again unless Tesco sit on the mart site for a few years more.
I find it amusing that the main advertisement you see on this page before you log in is for Sainsbury's. :lol:
OH has heard a fairly strong rumour that Tesco are attempting to do a deal with Thurso High School to buy that land as well and build a new, bigger school for Thurso elsewhere in the town - possibly on the site of the current Tesco?
You couldn't build a bigger school on the site of the current Tesco because there isn't enough space. You could do it if you built the school on the Millbank playing fields so why would Tesco not keep it simple and just build their new superstore there? Would it be easier to get planning permission for a school at Millbank than a superstore there?
Anyways, a new school would surely cost way more than a new superstore. Why would Tesco want to suffer the expense? :confused
My philosophy is 'try something new today'. :D
I didn't think this subject would go away. Is it just the recession or are Tesco strictly dancing? What do you think?
Tesco denies delaying build of superstore
They could be or they could not be.
Only tescos know the answer to that question ;)
Certainly not a childish opinion. It is well documented that there are sites around the country that supermarkets own but are not developing simply to keep the opposition out. Whether thst is the case in Thurso I do not know but nevertheless it is possible due to what has happened elsewhere. Childish no, fair assessment possibly!
(Thanks for the link Crayola)
Some folks may not be able to open the link, but at least there's a bit more info, and hopefully the days are getting less where we out west can save about £3 a tank filling..
"A CLAIM that Tesco plans to delay the building of its new supermarket in Thurso has been denied by the company.
A spokesman for the store yesterday expressed his surprise at the suggestion which cropped up at Tuesday night's meeting of the town's community council when vice-chairman Bert Macleod said he heard the supermarket was to be delayed by two years.
Chairman Bob Earnshaw said he also had been told the building of the store - planned at the former auction mart site in the town - was to be deferred, although he acknowledged that could be the result of the recent bad weather or the downturn in the economy.
"Nothing is happening at the site at the moment and I think we should write to Tesco and ask them what the position is," he said.
Members agreed with that suggestion.
A Tesco company spokesman told the John O'Groat Journal there are no plans to delay the project.
"We are currently tendering for the demolition contract to clear the site of the existing buildings. When the site is cleared we will move the new store forward onto our development programme," he said.
The 8.5-acre site between the railway station and the town's high school has lain derelict since November 2006 when United Auctions sold it to Miller Developments.
The new 25,000 square-foot supermarket is to include a four-pump petrol station as well as a car park and new access on to Ormlie Road. The development is set to create 50 jobs. Tesco intends selling off its current store at Millbank when the new store is completed.
http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/fullstory.php/aid/7781/Tesco_denies_delaying_build_of_superstore.html
How long have they had the site 4 years and they are now talking about preparing a tender for demolition. How many more years before the move to build, they haved stopped the opposition so are not worried hows long it takes.
It is now against the law for any company to buy land (and not build on it) just to stop another company from purchasing the land. Tesco are going to be building a new superstore on the mart site.
To be fair to Tesco, it's only 5 months since they obtained permission to go ahead.
Tesco store gets green light
All this whinging about Tesco - if certain councillors had not lived in the dark ages, we'd be shopping in ASDA at Pennyland for quite a while now - at least we HAVE got a blinking Tesco, just need the fuel to stop the continuing rip-off and price difference between Thurso/Wick
I've changed my mind about siting Asda at Pennyland. It was bad politics by Asda and their supporters because they were bound to get a lot of objections. If they'd applied to build it just past Manpower you would probably be shopping there now.