Nuns told to shun Tesco in row over port store

AN ORDER of nuns has been urged to shelve plans to sell off part of its estate for a Tesco supermarket in one of England's most historic coastal towns.

The controversial plans for the supermarket in Whitby have provoked a wave of opposition after the Order of the Holy Paraclete agreed a deal to build the Tesco store on their land on the outskirts of the port.

A petition launched by a campaign group called Whitby Residents Against Tesco has collected more than 2,500 signatures, and Friends of the Earth has now added its support to the fight.

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The campaign group's spokeswoman, Helen Barker, claimed the development will bring more traffic chaos to Whitby's already congested roads, and the supermarket would impinge on Whitby's famous landscape.

Retired teacher Mrs Barker, 67, lives with her husband, Wilfred, 70, in Runswick Avenue close to the site earmarked for the Tesco development near to Sneaton Castle.

The grandmother said brownfield sites should be used first.

"This whole area of the town will change completely if the Tesco supermarket becomes a reality, and it would not just be for us – it would be for generations to come," she added.

"If the plans for the supermarket are approved, then it will pave the way for more development which will ruin the character of Whitby completely.

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"The town is such a special place, and attracts people of all ages, and from all backgrounds. We want to fight to preserve the character of our town, we are just ordinary people who feel very strongly about this.

"I do not think the nuns realise just how much opposition there is against the proposals. It is such a sensitive issue, and I would urge them to think again about selling the land. They are part of the local community, and would not want to see the town ruined."

Whitby has become the focus for a series of proposed supermarket developments, after both Tesco and Sainsbury announced plans for the North Yorkshire town, while the Co-operative is hoping to extend its premises in the centre of the port.

It is the Tesco proposals on greenfield land, however, which have provoked the strongest opposition.

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The supermarket giant yesterday issued a strong defence of its

proposals, and claimed up to 300 jobs could be created.

Tesco's regional corporate affairs manager, Matthew Magee, said: "In these difficult economic times, we're proud to be creating jobs and investing in the local area."

The developer behind the scheme, York-based S Harrison Developments Ltd, stressed that 93 "badly-needed" affordable houses would also be built.

Affordable accommodation for the elderly and a site for a new medical centre would also be provided.

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A series of traffic improvements would help cope with increases in traffic, according to the developer.

Scarborough Borough Council is due to consider all three supermarket applications at a specially convened planning meeting within the next two to three months.

The Order of the Holy Paraclete, which was founded in 1915, declined to comment yesterday.

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