Tesco wins Croxley Green appeal (From Watford Observer)

Tesco wins Croxley Green appeal

11:09am Wednesday 14th October 2009 in

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Tesco has won its appeal to build seven flats and an express convenience store in Croxley Green.

The supermarket giant has successfully overturned a previous ruling of Three Rivers District Council to refuse the scheme, in Watford Road.

The development, on the site of an old car showroom next to the Shell petrol station, has been on the political agenda since 2006, when the company first applied for permission.

In the intervening years the application was twice rejected by councillors and twice withdrawn by the applicant – on both occasions when refusal had been recommended by council officers.

In its most recent ruling in February the council’s development control committee ruled the development would damage the appearance of the street scene and cause heavy traffic congestion.

Committee members also rejected the scheme’s lack of parking space and the cramped nature of the proposed dwellings.

Planning Inspector Julia Gregory, however, threw out all of these objections after hearing three days’ of evidence last month.

Council Leader Ann Shaw said the decision demonstrated the power Tesco and other large companies have over planning authorities.

She told the Watford Observer: “My reaction is one of great disappointment on behalf of people whose views have been ignored and overruled.

“It seems Tesco can just ride roughshod over council decisions that take a very long time to reach.”

Croxley Green Residents’ Association chairman Barry Grant said he was disappointed but not surprised by the result.

He said: “The planning system is very much stacked in favour of applicants. It’s very difficult for people like us, who are not planning experts, to get involved in cases like this – especially against an opponent with the resources of Tesco.

“I’m extremely disappointed by this but at least we can say we gave it our best shot and raised these concerns on residents’ behalf.

"At least we have it in writing now; at least we can say when the arguments of the planning inspector are disproved that we warned about it at the time.

“But it would be wrong to say that people can’t stand up to Tesco because they can. Given a different site and a different set of arguments the outcome could be different.”

Mr Grant, whose association campaigned vigorously on the issue, even producing its own impact and traffic surveys, did, however, criticise the handling of the public inquiry, in which many of his members’ statements were allegedly disregarded.

He added: “It makes you wonder what the definition of a public inquiry actually is – if the views of the public are not properly represented.”

In a decision published this morning Mrs Gregory rejected the idea that traffic, already interrupted by the petrol station, would back up further along Watford Road thanks in part to a new and improved road crossing – to be funded by Tesco.

It was also ruled that average vehicle speeds would be very low so would not threaten the safety of pedestrians. The report also ruled on the subject of need; whether or not a new “top-up” store was desirable in the area.

She explained: “The proposed store would result in more properties being within 400m of a more conventional convenience store providing a fuller range of goods.”

Furthermore the report ruled on the potential impact on surrounding businesses, many of which warned they would be forced out of business should the development get the go-ahead.

Responding to comments by the residents’ association, which the council Mrs Gregory said there would be “no adverse impact” on local shopping centres.