Tesco halts planning appeal over new store

The company had said the proposed store, just off the A63 at Welton, would have created 250 jobs and be “right for customers and residents”.

But it has now withdrawn its appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, which had been due to hold an inquiry in June.

It is not clear whether the retailer is now considering opening an alternative new store a couple of miles away in Brough, where plans for a £100m mixed-use development, including provision for a superstore, have been submitted to the council.

Nobody at the company was available for comment, although East Riding Council, which rejected the Welton application at a meeting of its planning committee on April 5, said it welcomed the decision to withdraw the appeal.

The Welton store had faced strong opposition from residents, who said it would be better located on the Brough South development, arguing that the A63 is unsuitable for the additional levels of traffic the store would bring.

A 30-strong group called Welton Tesco Fighters was formed to campaign against the store, which now appears to have won the day.

Speaking ahead of the planning meeting, spokesman Susan Attisha said: “It’s just the wrong location, Tesco have tried all over the country to build these out-of-town supermarkets and they have a lot of clout but they don’t always get their way.

“If there was a supermarket in Brough South it would be more linked to the town centre. Putting a garden centre, a sixth-form annexe for nearby South Hunsley School, even housing would be more preferable to a huge supermarket with tankers. Our main objection is the traffic, because of the petrol station and the café.”

Four parish councils had also opposed the scheme.