Stowmarket Town Council's Planning, Consultation & Strategy Committee have recently rejected Tesco's plan for extending the local store. In a letter to the East Anglian Daily Times (23rd April), Cllr Lesley Mayes explained that the proposed extension was considered to be 'to the detriment of the proposed Cedars Park Village Centre'. Cllr. Mayes went on to state that 'it is imperative that we encourage retailers to the town centre'. She added that extending the 'Tesco store at Cedars Park will allow for a wider range of goods being stocked thus removing the need for shoppers to visit the town centre'.
CPRA believes that Tesco is a key local facility: The 'village centre' is not yet built, and there are, as yet, no relevant prospective occupants. We think that the Town Council Committee should have given greater consideration to the needs of Cedars Park, itself. We have expressed our support for Tesco's planning application to Mid-Suffolk District Council, who expect to reach their decision on the plans this Summer.
CPRA does not support any retailer in favour of another and supports the regeneration of Stowmarket. However, we strongly believe that Cedars Park needs retail services which are local, minimise additional car journeys, and provide choice and flexibility in serving the needs of Cedars Park residents. We welcome any proposals to improve services which meet these criteria.
