Tesco dancing on Asda's grave at the Mart in Thurso?

[Tubthumper]

Auction mart site in Thurso sold for £3,917,580 on the 14th May 2010.

I thought Tesco had bought the site and it had all been sorted out yonks ago?

Still it gives an idea of how much property is worth in the area. If Tesco are investing that plus the cost of building, staffing & stocking a supermarket, they must have some confidence that Caithness has some kind of future!

[Sara Jevo]

Auction mart site in Thurso sold for £3,917,580 on the 14th May 2010.

I thought Tesco had bought the site and it had all been sorted out yonks ago?

Still it gives an idea of how much property is worth in the area. If Tesco are investing that plus the cost of building, staffing & stocking a supermarket, they must have some confidence that Caithness has some kind of future!

It's less than half what Tesco pays its top man in the US.

Spotlight falls on £7m payout for Tesco's man in America

[bekisman]

I do like that link lol . . .

the beautiful Sarajevo is an often admired site of intellectuals and peoples of all races

Whereas as a straw man . . .

To "attack a straw man" is to create the illusion of having refuted a proposition by substituting a superficially similar yet weaker proposition (the "straw man"), and refuting it, without ever having actually refuted the original position

Hmmmm . . . enjoy the shopping

Hmm, no, I was referring to "On April 6, 1992, Serb militants opened fire on thousands of peace demonstrators in Sarajevo, killing at least five and wounding 30. This began a siege that has been termed "the worst in Europe since the end of World War II".

'Straw man' nah, not bothered with 'refuting your original position' re reply #116, as you never really answered - so the recourse to the source of your 'ciggies' was really just a bit of tiffin, before I drove over to Tesco's and got my diesel at 115.9p a litre - well I know you don't use Tesco fuel, but seems a bit foolish to pay an extra 7p a litre - but then, one makes one's choice..

[crayola]

I haven't visited for some time so please forgive the naivety of this question.......

Has demolition or any other work started on the old Mart site or are Tesco still dancing to the same old tune?

[Metalattakk]

I haven't visited for some time so please forgive the naivety of this question.......

Has demolition or any other work started on the old Mart site or are Tesco still dancing to the same old tune?

Hang on, I'll take a deek out my back window....ach, it's dark.

As of last daylight though, there has been no movement on the site at all. None whatsoever.

Nichts, nada, rien, niente, ничего, etc., etc., etc.

[crayola]

Thanks MA. I'll take that as a 'no' then.

Did you not even see any ghosts of sheepies past?

[Metalattakk]

Och, the sheepies were'na too bad. The coos were a damn sight worser. Fit a din!

[Sara Jevo]

What was the name of the property company that acquired the mart site? Was it Balmore?

That must've been getting on for 10 years ago now.

Anyway, Balmore it turns out is a front for Tesco.

New Tesco town row as secret land deal is revealed - Scotsman

Tesco planning permission dirty tricks row - This is Money

It suggests the acquisition of the site years ago was to deprive others (e.g. Asda). If Tesco was serious about developing the site, the store would've been built ages ago.

[crayola]

No it wasn't Balmore. It was Miller Developments whom I have dealt with professionally and they are as far as I know a bona fide property developer with the usual land-grabbing and exploitational tendencies.

According to the Groat the grave dancing continues unabated......

Chamber 'not getting full story' from Tesco

In a statement to the John O'Groat Journal a Tesco spokesperson said: "Tesco has an ongoing dialogue with the community council regarding progress in Thurso and we can confirm that we will shortly be securing the site to allow us to move the scheme forward. Tesco remains fully committed to delivering the new store and petrol station in Thurso."

For those lucky souls that don't suffer corporate botox on a daily basis this can be loosely translated as...........

Tesco is still evading the question that Thurso Community Council has asked for the umpteenth time and we can confirm that we haven't done anything and we have no intention of doing anything soon. And that includes having no intention of selling the site to a rival that might open a new store and petrol station there before we get around to thinking about it again one day. We'll put up a bigger fence to keep them out if we have to.

[crayola]

The supermarket saga continues to be stopped dead in its tracks:

From 'Tesco has broken every promise made' (courtesy of the Courier)

Despite repeated attempts, a Tesco spokesman was yesterday unavailable for comment.

However, a company representative said earlier this month: "Tesco has an ongoing dialogue with the community council regarding progress in Thurso and we can confirm that we will shortly be securing the site to allow us to move the scheme forward.

"Tesco remains fully committed to delivering the new store and petrol station in Thurso."

The translation of this into plain English is the same as the translation in my previous post. Except that they seem to have dropped their commitment to build a big fence to keep out Asda. Or chavs or gangs or whatever...............

Meanwhile I'm still trying to get my head around the concept of being a lifelong resident of Ormlie Road. I suppose that could be something to be proud of. And why not? The man in question is 51 (allegedly) so he's only a few years older than me. I wonder if I knew him. Or if I ever snogged him. If I did it wasn't in Ormlie Road because I never snogged anyone there.

I'm still in love with John Rosie.

[crayola]

I don't take any pleasure in drawing your attention to the Tesco train driving dead in its tracks but this was oh so predictable.

Supermarket giant under pressure over derelict site
Published: 04/10/2010 10:45

Press & Journal, Aberdeen
Tesco is coming under pressure to address safety concerns about the derelict site of its proposed new supermarket in Thurso.

A community representative claims that the use of the ground as a shortcut by local school pupils could result in a serious accident.

Thurso Community Council vice-chairman Bert Macleod also alleged that the retail giant is "land-banking" to prevent other supermarkets developing the former auction mart site, off Ormlie Road.

In August last year, Tesco was given detailed planning consent for the 25,000sq ft store and four pump petrol station. But construction has not yet started.

Mr Macleod said: "I firmly believe that they have no intention of doing anything with the site. They have got the land and nobody else can do anything with it. We, however, are concerned about the state that the site has been left in. It needs to be tidied up and made safe as a matter of priority."

Apart from being an eyesore, he said, its regular use by school pupils was a major concern.

He said: "There are droves of kids going through the site and past the station when cars and taxis are reversing and manoeuvring. It's an accident waiting to happen."

The community council is making a further approach to Tesco to press for action.

Local Highland councillors are, meanwhile, to make a fresh bid to get a timetable from Tesco about its plans for the site.

Thurso member John Rosie said: "The site is a disgrace. It's full of weeds and the house in it is becoming dilapidated and a target for vandals.

"It's totally unacceptable, and we want to know what their plans are."

Council colleague Donnie Mackay claims Tesco should compensate the community in some form for the condition the site has been left in.

"They should offer to provide, say a local playpark, for the mess they have left the site in," he said.

The site has lain derelict since the mart closed four years ago.

No one from Tesco was yesterday available for comment.

Caithness Chamber of Commerce - News Archive

[flash]

Was passing the old mart site today and I see workmen are starting to tidy the site. One of them was telling me they are going to put up hoarding and begin demolition soon, but building probably wont start until next financial year

[crayola]

Thanks for that info flash. I'm still catching up on the news here.

Are they only building a fence for now or are they demolishing and tidying the site too?

[Vistravi]

Forget asda and tesco i want netto! It's a great shop for bargains!

[Leanne]

Forget asda and tesco i want netto! It's a great shop for bargains!

And an Aldi!

[Vistravi]

need makro too, wanna shop for live lobsters!

[bekisman]

Do my eyes deceive me? was being driven into Thurso and went past the Thurso Tesco site, with the high boarding around - however the entrance gate was open and I could see diggers etc demolishing the structures there - am I right? 'cos it's about bleeding time, - sooner their fuel outlet is up and running and the usual long-standing fuel rip-off from Bridge End etc continues, the longer Mrs Beks and I will be commuting to Wick (not just to save the pennies, but to stop lining the pockets..)

[WICKER10]

Think they are just cleaning the site up to stop the council being on there back.

[Walter Ego]

Think they are just cleaning the site up to stop the council being on there back.

Like the 'New development' at the Dominos site in Wick......

[bekisman]

Was at the Thurso railway station this afternoon - noticed a lot of diggers and machinery on the site and what looks like erecting red-painted upright girders?