We axed trees for good reason, says superstore

1:10pm Saturday 6th September 2008

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By Lucy Tatchell »

SUPERMARKET giant Tesco has defended its decision to cut down 75 mature trees stating it was always within its plan to change the car park.

But councillors have been quick to criticise the comment, stating it was never made clear in the planning application.

As reported in your Worcester News on Thursday, the trees in the car park of Tesco in Warndon Villages, Worcester, were felled last weekend.

Felix Gummer, Tesco corporate affairs manager, said: “We applied for a new car park layout. The new diagram clearly showed the new landscaping which we have carried out.

“We have gone through due process, we have done everything we should have done.”

On the plans submitted to Worcester City Council there is a before and after diagram of the car park where trees have been felled. A design and access statement, submitted on behalf of Tesco for planning permission to re-configure the car park, talks about landscaping.

It states: “The development will seek to retain the existing level of landscape features within the site.

“The extension to the car park will result in the loss of vegetation within the site.”

The document goes on to say: “Overall the level of landscaping retained and proposed within the development is similar to that within the existing store layout.”

Councillor Lucy Hodgson said: “As a local councillor if I had known that was what they where doing I would have fought it a lot harder. I would say the planning committee did not know.

“There is nothing in the plans which says they are going to cut down 75 trees.”

Warndon Parish Councillor Ted Holloway said: “There is nothing whatsoever in the diagrams to show trees being cut down.” The work at the Mill Wood Drive store sparked outrage among local people, who fear Tesco is clearing the land for a massive expansion of its shop and car park.

In 2006 Tesco withdrew an application to expand the store and build a multi storey car park after strong opposition from people.

Mr Holloway added: “The next thing it will be a multi-storey car park.”