Supermarkets battle for Barnet trade (From Times Series)

Supermarkets battle for Barnet trade

4:30pm Tuesday 14th April 2009

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“TURF warfare” has broken out between rival supermarkets at the expense of the community, claim New Barnet residents and councillors.

A Tesco Express store in Victoria Road got the green light from planners last week, despite being only minutes away from another Tesco Express and a Sainsbury’s.

“Now we residents are caught up in the turf warfare of two supermarkets and will suffer whatever happens.”

David Howard

The supermarket had appealed against an earlier refusal by Barnet Council planners who thought the store would provide insufficient off-street parking and be “visually intrusive”.

Residents claim Tesco proposed the store to block Asda’s plans to redevelop the gasworks site to the north of East Barnet Road. The company insists this is not the case.

Asda’s proposal, submitted to the council on February 16, would involve the demolition of existing buildings at the site to make way for a 10,500-sq-metre supermarket, 211 residential units, shops, restaurants, car parking and community space.

More than 2,500 residents have signed a petition opposing the plan, which they believe will bring gridlock, noise and pollution to the town centre, and squeeze out smaller retailers.

They are also opposed to a large Tesco redevelopment, proposed for the area inside Victoria Road and East End Road, although the company has yet to submit a formal application.

David Howard, spokesman for the New Barnet Community Association, claimed the Tesco Express store was designed as "an eyestore and a blot on the landscape of the Asda site”.

He claimed: “It is not really serious about opening a small store; it’s just meant as a spoiler.

“Now residents are caught up in the turf warfare of two supermarkets and will suffer whatever happens.”

Barnet Conservatives also expressed concern about the Tesco plan.

Councillor Joanna Tambourides, who attended the appeal hearing, said: “Many residents got in touch to object about this application and the committee rejected it for very good reasons.

“I am now worried the site will become a pawn in a battle between the supermarkets.”

Theresa Villiers, Conservative MP for Chipping Barnet, said the new Tesco store was “good and bad news".

“I think the council had sensible and important reasons for turning down the application for a further Tesco Express because there is already one nearby and the extra cars generated by a new store will intensify local traffic congestion problems,” she said.

"However, adding yet another grocery retail outlet to New Barnet makes the case for a big new superstore from either Asda or Tesco even weaker.

“My constituents have made it very clear to me that people already have a wide range of choices when it comes to their weekly shop and they neither need nor want a new supermarket.”

Alex Trenchard, corporate affairs manager for Tesco, denied the store was meant as an Asda spoiler.

He said: “There is real demand among New Barnet shoppers for more choice and more convenience. That's what an additional Express store on this spot provides for the many homes off Victoria Road and Station Road and for people passing through to the station.

“This has long been a significant site for Tesco. We have also come to see it as a great place to relocate some of those businesses that might be displaced by the regeneration scheme Tesco plans for East Barnet Road.”

Tom McGarry, property communications manager for Asda, said the company welcomed the Tesco store.

“There is plenty of retail capacity in New Barnet for an Express store operating alongside Sainsbury's and our scheme,” he said.

“Competition between supermarkets is good for customers. That’s why Asda supports a competitive retail sector and we want to open a store in New Barnet."

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