Tescos Again

[Andy Millne]

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

 

The draft heads of terms as a guide state "A fair market rent" in other words whatever the two parties can agree on based on similar rents paid for other properties.

[rosco]

Latest news from tesco is Gregg's will be moving shop because they share a fire exit...and tesco will have to pay them to relocate

The shop was making a profit but the council wanted them to repair the old coop building which is in a right old state inside the upper floors

[Maggie/915]

Surely landlords, the council local and county not to mention central government can get together and change things for our town.

Everywhere I look there are many more viable shopping centres with less to offer!

Our town and the people who live here need a change of attitude by anyone remotely interested in providing a service to the local community.

Profits would and will come when these people change things for the better.

[John Fox (foxy)]

Surely landlords, the council local and county not to mention central government can get together and change things for our town.

Profits would and will come when these people change things for the better.

Maggie, 

                I'm not sure on all the facts yet but I'm led to believe that if we can get a petition signed by 10,000 people then by law the issue has to be discussed at Westminster  As there are around 15,000 people in Bedlington, a large number of which  are unhappy at the performance of our elected representatives who haven't supported us,  then we shouldn't have a problem getting the required number of signatures.  I'm sure we could muster up enough volunteers to collect the names and hopefully get someone else to give us the support that has not been given from the present regime. What do you think?

[Maggie/915]

Brilliant.

The employees of Tesco's would surely approve.

Maybe our MP and Councillors could also sign up.

I do not just mean Bedlington but Northumberland Councillors.

Perhaps even an MP or two.

The situation is extra ordinary!

The question really is 'Why Why Why'

For things to get this bad and to be content with office space in a town centre seems very wrong.

After all we do not live in the wilds of Northumberland and a population of 15,000 and rising demands some consideration.

Even if we drive cars we have to consider people who do not, we may in later life need help to shop locally.

The neighbourhood planning team proposing so many new houses suggest we do not need more schools because we have an

'Ageing Population' in Bedlington. If this is so then we do need a shopping centre.

[John Fox (foxy)]

Brilliant.

.

Maybe our MP and Councillors could also sign up.

I do not just mean Bedlington but Northumberland Councillors.

Perhaps even an MP or two.

For things to get this bad and to be content with office space in a town centre seems very wrong.

 

 

 

 

You must have misread my post Maggie, I wasn't meaning an attempt to save what we have, I was looking for investment. The people you mention above are the root cause of the problem, we even have Bedlington reps campaigning for investment into Ashington in their quest to suck up the MPs backside.  Hopefully we can get rid of them before they watch the lights being switched off for the last time.    

[Maggie/915]

foxy they all need to change and help Bedlington.

They need to see it is in their interests.

The past problems need to be buried and a new approach developed where everyone has the same goal.

The 'root cause' could be developed into the 'root solution'.

Either way the next generation will change things.

Our children and grandchildren will see a different attitude develop.

No one can see what has happened in Bedlington as fair.

[Adam Hogg]

foxy they all need to change and help Bedlington.

They need to see it is in their interests.

The past problems need to be buried and a new approach developed where everyone has the same goal.

The 'root cause' could be developed into the 'root solution'.

Either way the next generation will change things.

Our children and grandchildren will see a different attitude develop.

No one can see what has happened in Bedlington as fair.

Maggie I think this answers your question for NCC and our (Sorry) Ashington's MP with regards to Bedlington.

 

In the case of Bedlington, Actions speak louder then words!

[toffo]

The top and bottom of it is if there are no facilities for our children ie "the next generation" this includes sports/welfare employment and commercial enterprises, which all go hand in hand, we run the risk that they will move away thus creating a further downward spiral in the economics of the town, it's upto us as parents / current generation to change what is happening and if our locally elected councillors aren't standing up for us, then we vote someone in who will.

[Christopher Doyle]

... and if our locally elected councillors aren't standing up for us, then we vote someone in who will.

Like who?

 

Not a great lot of choice out there from what i've seen. 

 

They all seem to be singing from the same hymn sheet, just in different octaves.

[tonyg]

you are right.none of them seem to be Bothered.

[Malcolm Robinson]

I'm starting to take exception to this………I am a councillor and I do nothing else except stand up for Bedlington! I can think of another 3 who do the same. So please get your targets right and fire the bullets at the right people. Don't paint all councillors with the same brush you have to be more selective, some of us are actually fighting bloody hard for this community!

[Malcolm Robinson]

GGGG, for some reason I have lost all the grammar tools within the postings. The only way I can get my posts to display properly is to do them in Word then change it into a picture to paste into the text box. This posting's sentences and paragraphs will no doubt run into each other.

The letter you asked about is just me trying to find something which affects all businesses and in so doing could be one of the fixes needed to start addressing our Town's commercial problem. One thing is for certain no one can expect businesses or anyone else for that matter to keep paying more and more out of less and less.

[toffo]

I'm starting to take exception to this………I am a councillor and I do nothing else except stand up for Bedlington! I can think of another 3 who do the same. So please get your targets right and fire the bullets at the right people. Don't paint all councillors with the same brush you have to be more selective, some of us are actually fighting bloody hard for this community!

Malcolm,

As a local elected representative being "a target with bullets fired" comes with the territory I'm afraid, as a democratic society we have the right to chose who represents us and if we feel personally that the elected aren't doing that job then we have the right to question and criticise and judge by way of manifesto as to whom we feel will best represent the future of the town.

No doubt some of you do work tirelessly and hard for us but unfortunately when it comes to local politics and issues you will always be judged on your successes and criticised on failures. Maybe an informed column in the Newspost Leader or a leaflet through the door would be beneficial to all concerned as not all residents are able to make council meetings, surely this would not only allow people to make "informed" comments but also the opportunity to see the hard work some of youse carry out?

[Maggie/915]

Keep going Malcolm.

We just need more people who will challenge and inspire!

Basically we need things to change for Bedlington to move forward.

Any spotlight on the council will prove how things are done or not done.

[mercuryg]

"I am a councillor and I do nothing else except stand up for Bedlington!"

 

Indeed you are, and I have the greatest admiration for your dedication and commitment to the town. Personally I can think of nobody better than yourself, Adam et al to carry the flag for Bedlington and, as you are aware, have already enquired as to what I can do to help. Perhaps others would like to join me in offering support?

[Malcolm Robinson]

I agree toffo but you have a responsibility too and that is to find out the basics before you start firing bullets. I know this is not the popular scenario but the implied contract is there!

What's the difference between Town Councillors and County councillors and where does the MP fit in?

I will take any criticism for anything I have any responsibility for, I won't take it for things I have no input or authority over!

As for letting a wider public know through local media, here's a letter I sent into the NPL last week………….............................................................................................................................................(sorry about the spacings etc I still have a virus!)........................................................................

Now we have had time to digest the official closure notice by Tesco and think about how it may impact onto our town we really need to see just how much of a catalogue of disasters this has really been from start to finish for Bedlington!

I will stand to be corrected but chronologically the first the Bedlington community knew about this supposed development was at a Bedlington Forum meeting back in 2009 where one of the then WDC officers who put the deal together informed us that Tesco were going to do a large scale rebuild which would incorporate the car park and Gap Site. As part of the build, new shop units (6) and offices above were to be built and a long term lease (25yrs+) would be given to what was then Wansbeck Life and they would administer that commercial space. (What a can of worms Wansbeck Life turned out to be but like a phoenix rose from the ashes and became the resplendent Arch, the County Council owned Northumberland Development Company!) It was explained that council were going into a form of PARTNERSHIP with Tesco and would be handing over the Gap Site and car park freely to Tesco as their contribution, in turn council would get and run the new shops and offices.

Tesco then acquired the covenants on the car park off the CO-OP. These covenants at the time guaranteed free parking for Bedlington residents (180 spaces!) and the site for a weekly market. These conditions were quickly changed!

We then had the plans put in by Tesco's and the fanfare public presentations they did. When asked a bit deeper for information it transpired Tesco were going to slap a 2/3 hour parking limit on their car park overseen by number plate recognition cameras and charge transgressors a parking fine. It became crystal clear why they had needed the covenants on the car park and why they changed them!

Skip forward a few years and the planning permission which had been eagerly given was starting to run out and still no signs of any development. Why was no one working on a Plan 'B' as it became increasing clear Tesco would never actually do this redevelopment. Questions were asked of the County Council about the terms of the deal which had been agreed with Tesco especially any claw back arrangement if their development didn't go ahead, because as far as I could see we had handed the two prime commercial assets in Bedlington over to a multinational for nothing! It took many many months of repeatedly and doggedly asking the question and what came back was at odds with what we had been told all those years ago. County claim Tesco paid £1 million pounds for the sites (car park and Gap site) but didn't put any timeframe for development into the agreement reached with Tesco and certainly no claw back. I asked to see the cheque entry and even asked our county councillors to look for it. No one has come back with any proof any money was handed over, I can therefore only assume what we were told at the very start of this unedifying spectacle was correct, council handed over those two site to Tesco free!

Even if I did believe the 'official line' that in itself makes the much Bedlington despised disappearance of the Golf Club money pale into insignificance as we are now talking about £1 million Pounds in cash not the half million pounds Golf Club money county previously sequestrated off Bedlington! WHERE'S THE MONEY HONEY?

What really is the problem and where I would apportion blame is in the fact that there is no plan 'B'. One council after another was keen to sit back and do nothing in/for Bedlington because they had sold OUR souls to a private company which could do almost what it wanted. This is not governance it's actually the antithesis of good governance! We then saw out MP come riding over the horizon into Bedlington like the Lone Ranger, only he wasn't firing silver bullets he was firing blanks!

Here's an idea for plan 'B'! Every other Town in the South East of the county if getting sizable investment from the staggering (approx.) £150 million going into Ashington to the latest £500K we have been told going into Blyth.

What about this for an idea, let's put some of the millions of pounds Arch has been 'given' and allowed to trade into, as investment into Bedlington? After all it is the "Regeneration Company for Northumberland” and last I looked Bedlington was part of Northumberland! The whole Tesco site should be compulsory purchased for a pound and developed sensibly with reference to its position in a conservation area as well as overriding commercial considerations.

What is abundantly clear is that there is no one with any imagination or business acumen abroad within NCC and certainly not anyone with reference to Bedlington's needs! Never has been since the old WDC days!

As well as the Tesco employees who are to lose their jobs I feel sorry for Greggs and their employees because at least and at last here we have a national company demonstrably willing to invest in a full new shop refit in Bedlington and they must be left wondering what might happen to them too as their premises are part of the Tesco owned building?

[Andy Millne]

WHERE'S THE MONEY HONEY?

 

Could these questions ( not that specific one of course ) be answered via a FOI request? At least then an answer or reasons for refusal must be given 

[John Fox (foxy)]

The Town Council  past and present  aren't to blame for the Tesco Debacle  or the lack of investment in the Town. The blame lies solely  with our County Councillors and the Member of Parliament that was elected to represent us. They have failed miserably  to support us whilst channeling their efforts and our monies into a neighbouring town of the MPs choice. They are aware of this website and get regular  news feeds of what is being discussed on here, some of them may be members but unfortunately they choose not to respond because they can't defend their actions.   

[Adam Hogg]

After all it is the "Regeneration Company for Northumberland” and last I looked Bedlington was part of Northumberland! The whole Tesco site should be compulsory purchased for a pound and developed sensibly with reference to its position in a conservation area as well as overriding commercial considerations.

Finally, someone who agrees with me That the whole Tesco's area should be Compulsory purchased

[Adam Hogg]

WHERE'S THE MONEY HONEY?

The answer Malcolm, The golf course money some was given for the reopening of Bedlington Community Centre, the rest was spend elsewhere then Bedlington, The £1 Million from Tescos was put into the county councils central pot and most likely.

1) Given the Arch.

2) Spent on Ashington.

3) Both!

[Malcolm Robinson]

Adam,………..I have a real problem with this bit…………..”The golf course money some was given for the reopening of Bedlington Community Centre”………………..no NCC can't have it both ways! Either that money was designated for Bedlington, and if that's true then it HAS to be capital projects like building something and it's still missing, or it disappeared into the general NCC pot which we were told it had done by the then Deputy Leader of NCC. If that's the case then NCC didn't give a grant to the community centre it actually STARTED paying for some maintenance issues because of years and years of neglect and underinvestment!.................

Once NCC took over that asset from the defunct WDC it also took over a responsibility for service and maintenance, the fact that it never had any repairs only exacerbated an already difficult situation and meant that when it was taken over by the Town Council there was a huge amount of work to be done to get it fit for use! NCC had a duty to pass it over as fit for purpose, therefore the cash granted for its repairs.

[Maggie/915]

Thinking carefully about these issues , there appears to be too few answers and so very many more unanswered questions.

Maybe a police investigation on 'Fraud' is the only way forward.

At the very least it is a case for investigation by the media.

If the MPs needed investigating I dread to think what has happened to our town..

Accountability or lack of it seems very prevalent.

Bedlington has been and remains in a no win situation.

[John Fox (foxy)]

[Malcolm Robinson]

Seems to back up my version then Foxy!