Tescos Again

[Christopher Doyle]

The Thursday market is a disgrace with the tatty stalls selling junk and other rubbish ...

Perhaps with the demise of Tesco, the market could move back to the car park and return to the decent sized market i remember as a kid?

 

Or are there other factors and reasons for it being kicked to the front of the street?

[Canny lass]

My sentiments exactly, Mercuryg! As with so many other things, there's no Point in wallowing in what it was or might have been. Concentrate on what it can be instead. There's plenty of go-ahead people with good ideas in Bedlington - not least here on this site!

[mercuryg]

Perhaps with the demise of Tesco, the market could move back to the car park and return to the decent sized market i remember as a kid?

 

Or are there other factors and reasons for it being kicked to the front of the street?

 

The question is whether there is a call for a market, and whether there are stallholders willing to participate. The traditional market is dying, Chris; most you will find these days are glorified car boot sales. Having said that, I'd love to see it back to how it was.

[mercuryg]

To Canny Lass: we can liken the demise of Tesco to the famed '2012 Mayan End of the World Prophecy'; in fact, the legendary calendar was not significant of an end, but signalled a new beginning.......

[tomtom]

Good for you Mercuryg - you put forward totally valid explanations following my comments which I have to accept. I hope and I mean Hope with a capItal H that our town drags itself up the league to where it should be - at or near the top. Biggest hurdle is that we don't appear to have any 'big gun' on our side to press the case home.

[mercuryg]

Biggest hurdle is that we don't appear to have any 'big gun' on our side to press the case home.

 

Absolutely right, that is the biggest hurdle! Mind you, Malcolm's quite tall......

[John Fox (foxy)]

There are hints, winks  and  nudges coming from the Labour administration at County Hall that we need to

 

 "watch this space there could be something coming"

 

Hopefully there is and its not just electioneering on behalf of the  Ashington Constituency. 

[Malcolm Robinson]

Tomtom/merc……………

I kinda agree with points you both raise and respect where its due tomtom, being swayed only by the argument put forward by merc is a very mature frame of mind. Nice to see!

Anyway I do think if we are going to get our Town going again we are going to have to do it ourselves! We have spent 50 years waiting for the 'great and good' to do what they have repeatedly promised, as Einstein said doing exactly the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is idiotic! It's time we broke that mould! ………… I would condemn the fact that there is no plan 'B' in place but then we are talking about Bedlington!!!!!!!!!!

[Maggie/915]

This is the time to feel optimistic !

What comes next could be significant in turning things around for Bedlington.

Tesco's could not help our town !

Now we may find someone or some company with drive and initiative to help return the town to its 'Glory Days'

The people are here in large numbers all we need is someone to believe and everything could so very easily change.

I remember a time when it was said people travelled from Seahouses to shop at a discount shop here.

This is just a small setback and leaves space for improvement and for job creation.

[keith lockey]

There's a list on this site of all the supermarkets we've had on the Tesco's site...but I can't find it.

When Presto's first opened I started work there in the 70s. So when Tesco's bugger off I'm sure some other chain will take over and the staff will be retained. This is me being optimistic but I'm sure someone will take advantage of the situation.

[tomtom]

Malcolm,give me a clue as to what you mean when you say we are going to have to do it ourselves - HOW!   by carrying out a mini Coup d'etat and seizing power - now their's a thought!

[Malcolm Robinson]

I do like that idea tomtom. Here's a novel thought.........why not start electing people because of their qualities/acumen/intelligence and character. Not because they wear the right coloured tie, not because they can talk a good fight not because they say the right things, sometimes you have to say the wrong things to get stuff done!........Looking at what we have now I wouldn't follow any of them into a WC never mind a battle and its going to be a battle, no mistake there. .........so yes lets have a coup d'etat and we can do that through the ballot box........We need to form lobbying groups and we certainly need to be better informed.........How many council meetings have you been to Tomtom, have you seen whats going on in them?

We need to get people impassioned about the political process again because that's where the decisions are made. We have allowed our politicians to get away with far too much for far too long! Instead of the communities dictating politics it's the political elite which dictates to the communities, that's the wrong way around! This is what happens when there is little or no oversight by a laissez-faire electorate or when the electorate abdicates its responsibilities.

[John Fox (foxy)]

 Here's a novel thought.........why not start electing people because of their qualities/acumen/intelligence and character. Not because they wear the right coloured tie,

So now we're talking colours I'll put it in Black and White.....we need to get rid of the Labour controlled administration at County Hall,  these people  have stood back and watched  Bedlington decline while they've channelled all available investment into a neighbouring town.  Morpeth will be next to feel the brunt after they move County HQ to the same town...I said at last weeks Town Council meeting and will say it again   both NCC and the MP have abandoned Bedlington.

[doglover]

Ive just gone to Tescos today to find they are Closing in April we are one of the  40 odd stores they have decided to get rid of  suprise suprise ! wE ARE REALLY GOING TO LOOK LIKE A GHOST TOWN THEN ESPECIALLY WITH THAT EYESORE OPPISITE HALF BUILT

[tomtom]

Malcolm you are making all the right noises but I fear p*****g against the wind. Sadly I have to put my hand up and admit to being one of the silent majority and do you know why, well I will explain: Politics is a dirty business no matter who is in power and  MPs have by and large,proved themselves not to be trusted. I have in my life come up against and met a number of politicians from the top down to local councillors and in very few and I mean very few occasions have I come away feeling enlightened or impressed by their actions. I haven't attended any council meetings because I feel  that I would only come away feeling even more concerned about the future. 

[Malcolm Robinson]

Always enjoyed a good scrap tomtom!

[Musicmusik]

This is my first post on the forum as the way that Tescos has treated the town disgusted me enough to search out a forum to gauge just how people are feeling. Unsurprisingly there is a lot of anger from residents who feel that Tescos have let the town down.

When it was announced a while ago that Tescos were going through a tough time, profits not being in the billions instead of the millions I suppose, I was naive enough to think that the Bedlington store would be unaffected. Lets be honest, Bedlington is hardly blessed with wonderful shopping facilities and I wrongly presumed that any company with common sense would realise that providing a good store would be an easy way to make a profit. Customers who don't have their own transport are handcuffed to the choice of a small Morrisons or mediumish Tescos for supermarkets and I thought Tescos would remain. Obviously I was wrong.

I suppose the warning signs have been there a while. The pyramids were built quicker than the Tesco development progressed and the old Co-op next door (3 floors no less!) has been used it would seem as a storeroom instead of being redeveloped and opened as a clothing/electrical etc option of the company. I use the store every couple of days for basic food shopping and picking up the odd option ordered online using the Click and Collect service but would gladly purchase more if the options were available.

As with all companied closing its the human cost that is most distressing. The staff must be devastated and I have always found them friendly and helpful. I hope that a new company will move into the premises and provide them with continued employment as well as us shoppers with somewhere to buy groceries as well as other goods. The prospect of another building sitting derelict is far too depressing to contemplate.

Anyway, sorry if I have made the same sorts of points as people have already made but I just wanted to express how I was feeling as I am proud of this town and rather annoyed at Tescos. I don't want to pick the town apart anymore in this post so maybes on another visit I can talk about the lack of toilets, dog muck issues etc.

I am a positive person by the way so I am counting down the days until major investment arrives and this thread is a thing of the past.

[tomtom]

Thank you Musicmusik for your comment and to think that I was a voice in the wilderness gives me added hope.

[Merlin]

Been off here a while now and just decided to have a look again.

Good God it's as if I'd never been away, same old, same old!

Look, the world does not owe Bedlington a favour! Bedlington as it stands is in no mans land, the Cooncil aren't bothered, the local MP only shows his arrogant two faces when it suites him, useless git! Even the majority of Bedlington people can't be bothered to get off their behinds to do anything to help Bedlington.

The rents on the Front Street are exorbitant to the extreme. Local people are to blame for this! Well one not so local as he is with his boyfriend on the Isle of Man. Anyway we moved from a small shop on the Front Street to a one four times the size further up the street for a third of the rent of the small one. The larger premises are owned by someone in London.

Tesco also blame the Cooncil for the barriers that were put up to everything Tesco wanted to do!

The monstrosity that is the Market place doesn't help either, steps and ill laid Yorkshire stone, slip slide away. While I'm on about monstrosities what the hell is going on over the road? Hadrians wall was built in less time than that eyesore!

Anyway I've strayed but so what

While I'm on the Tesco site is quite large, yes? Ideal site for a leisure centre! Cooncil said money was there but nowhere to build one in Bedlington. Let's see what excuses they come up with now!

Wow after that I need a rest! Good to be back haha

[Adam Hogg]

The rents on the Front Street are exorbitant to the extreme. Local people are to blame for this! Well one not so local as he is with his boyfriend on the Isle of Man. Anyway we moved from a small shop on the Front Street to a one four times the size further up the street for a third of the rent of the small one. The larger premises are owned by someone in London.

Well just look at these Merlin, talk about eye watering!

 

http://savills.completelyretail.co.uk/index.php?p=viewProperty&id=58767

http://savills.completelyretail.co.uk/index.php?p=viewProperty&id=57955

http://savills.completelyretail.co.uk/index.php?p=viewProperty&id=58768

http://savills.completelyretail.co.uk/index.php?p=viewProperty&id=58766

[Andy Millne]

The rents on the Front Street are exorbitant to the extreme. Local people are to blame for this! 

 

This is a gross generalisation. Yes, there are some pretty optimistic figures quoted from some as pointed out above but anybody with an ounce of commercial sense would negotiate on these and put forward the business case for a lower rent. If somebody was to offer a full asking rent with no negotiation whatsoever then I suspect any landlord would rather not want this tenant. There are legal fees and other costs associated with all new tenancies after all. A prospective tenant that can't even negotiate on one of their fundamental costs probably won't stay in business longer than 6 months. This seems like a good way of filtering out the non viable businesses to me.

 

For reasons of balance and after a declaration of interest... http://www.rightmove.co.uk/commercial-property-for-sale/property-44354767.html

[mercuryg]

"anybody with an ounce of commercial sense would negotiate on these and put forward the business case for a lower rent"

 

I know we've had this discussion before, and I still think you're displaying a little naivety here. You're quite right in that anyone with a bit of business nous will negotiate; the problem is, will the landlord? I've said before I entered into discussions over a number of properties on the front street a few years back on behalf of a friend. Not one landlord budged; in fact, one, when they found out there were two parties interested simultaneously, put the price up overnight! Is it any wonder we chose to walk away? or that my friend eventually opted to open in a different town, at more attractive rates?

 

The problem is that for the location and its few benefits, rents here are expensive. I'd far rather open a retail outlet in Morpeth and would pay little more.

 

The example you link to is an interesting one; any idea what the rent hikes up to after year one?

[Malcolm Robinson]

Only way I can get the thing to display properly!

[Andy Millne]

 You're quite right in that anyone with a bit of business nous will negotiate; the problem is, will the landlord?

 

Yes they will, and do. If you're receiving resistance in negotiation there could be a number of reasons for this. Negotiation on price may not be something the landlord is willing to do, there are other things other than price however. You may also be speaking to the wrong person, agents can be bad at communicating offers. Also, the business or offer may not be a good fit for the owner's long term plans. My main point is the sticker price is very rarely the final price for anything and by making blanket statements such as the rents are extreme or landlords are unwilling to negotiate it's not a very good advert for the town. I'm also not saying there aren't some landlords with unrealistic expectations, clearly from your experience this may have been the case in at least a couple of instances. This is not a universal truth though. It does sound like there are lots of small businesses individuals that need a leg up on their way to high street premises which is part of the reason I raised the idea of small office space units in the other thread. I'll try and get the relevant posts merged.

[Andy Millne]

What is the letter above in relation to please Malcolm? The perceived barriers to entry are certainly a problem for new businesses. Rents, rates, insurance, utility bills, accounting and legal in reality aren't too complex but they are all certainly disincentives to trying stuff and seeing what sticks.