This is an official statement from Woburn Sands Town Council regarding TESCO IN WOBURN SANDS

In order to clarify all the rumours circulating about Tesco coming to Woburn Sands, the Town Council invited representatives of Tesco to come and outline their proposals to us and give us the opportunity to ask some questions.

From this meeting it is now clear that Tesco intend opening a Tesco Express, their convenience store brand, in the property currently occupied by Woburn Zens. In order to do so, Tesco need to seek planning permission for minor alterations to the rear of the property and the car park and for changes to signage at the front since it is in our Conservation Area. They are also going to seek an alteration to car parking arrangements at the High Street end of Downham Road to allow access for their smallest (8.4m) rigid delivery vehicles for which they need permission from MKC Highways. Tesco are anxious to open this store as soon as possible, but realistically the MKC planning officer at our meeting told them this is unlikely to be earlier than late January 2012.

The Town Council is well aware of a strong lobby of opinion against this proposal, but there are also some who welcome it. Woburn Sands Business Association has an on-line petition and petitions in several shops if you wish to object to Tesco Express coming to Woburn Sands. To carry any weight this petition will need a great many signatures as not signing it may be interpreted as being either ambivalent about or for a Tesco Express here.

Woburn Sands Town Council will be carefully considering any planning application associated with Tesco Express in our High Street with the aim of protecting the Conservation Area status, safeguarding access to properties in Downham Road, and looking at safety issues for pedestrians and motorists on the High Street itself. We are anxious to do what we can to preserve the identity and viability of our High Street which has fared relatively well in comparison to others during the recent times of recession.

We will advertise any planning applications to which you can respond to the planning officer at MKC when the time comes.