Campaign group - Keep Chorlton Interesting - has updated us on the first of the consultation events regarding the plans for a massive supermarket (Tesco) within the Lancashire Cricket County Club. Worryingly, they state that the information being provided to the public about the development is potentially grossly misleading.

Keep Chorlton Interesting has kindly allowed us to quote Debbie Ellen's email about the consultation:

“There are around 6 display boards. The board about the supermarket does not mention anything about size of the store they are proposing. It does state that planning consent has been given - but this is for a store on Chester road (around 40,000 sq feet?) yet they are proposing 140,000 sq feet - but do not declare this anywhere. I only found this out by asking them.

They are misleading people to think that planning consent has been given (by omission as they do not have planning consent for a 140,000 sq. feet store). I challenged the people staffing the event at Firswood (Drivas Jonas) about this and they looked uncomfortable, but said 'they did not intend to mislead'. They said 'its a consultation' - so people can ask ... but many people won't think about asking! Some may also think 'well, they already have planning for the supermarket'.

There are also sheets for people to fill in with Yes/No questions, including one about whether they support a supermarket - but again, this does not mention size. As there is little grocery provision in this area its unlikely that without information about size people would say no, so to omit any mention of size is misleading.”

Trafford Green Party has taken a closer look at information made available online, and has found that LCCC's 38 page “Regeneration Framework” makes but one mention of a supermarket. The reference is to, “food retail facilities on Chester Road, focused around the site of the existing planning permission for a supermarket. (our italics)” As at the public consultation, they do not mention that planning has been granted for 40,000 sq feet, but that LCCC and their partners Ask Developments plan to extend this by a further 100,000 square feet. Keep Chorlton Interesting have also researched the issue and discovered that the planned supermarket would be the larger than their biggest store (Kingston Park, Newcastle-upon Tyne) which is 11,055 sq metres (140,000 sq feet = 13,006 sq. metres). The proposed Tesco will be nearly four times as big as the new Sainsburys in Urmston, also a project of Ask Developments.

Lancashire County Cricket Club currently offers a phone line (0161 247 7240), an email address and a broken link for online comments, as well as the public consultations through which you can express your views. Do please remember, however, that LCCC are not obliged to pass your views on, so if you are opposed to the proposed Tesco development, you need to make your views known to Trafford Council's Strategic Planning Department.

Remaining dates for Public Consultations:

• Thursday 23 July Library Suite, Lancashire County Cricket Club 4-7.30 pm
• Saturday 25 July St Ann's Social Club 10-2 pm