Tesco really taking the mick

[nst68]

Supermarket giant Tesco has angered traders in a north Devon seaside town by setting up a marquee selling beach goods, without planning permission.

The pop-up summer shop in the car park of the Ilfracombe store was "immoral" said one shopkeeper.

Tesco said the marquee was "really popular" with customers and it had applied for retrospective permission.

It can carry on selling goods until permission is either granted or refused, said North Devon Council.

The tent takes up about 10 car parking spaces in a square and sells items such as barbecues, buckets and spades and wetsuits.

High Street shopkeeper Gwynn Churchill said: "They haven't got permission, they have got a big enough store anyway.

"It's sharp practice. Even though it's legal, morally it can't be right."

Other traders said they relied on seasonal trade in holiday goods and could not compete with Tesco on prices.

Tesco said it was "pleased to be offering our customers summer essentials" and said it was "proving to be really popular".

North Devon Council said it would take up to eight weeks before it could consider the planning application.

"Responsible businesses would be expected to apply for planning consent prior to opening, although it is not illegal for them to open before permission has been granted," it said.

The authority added "any enforcement action should normally be held back while the application is considered".

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It's ridiculous that they can get away with this, setting up a shop in a car park and then apply for retrospective permission than will probably take 8 weeks, by which time we'll be past the bank holiday and they'll just take the marquee down.

 

[nst68]

I know they own the land, but if they thought it was such a good idea then why not apply for the permission before hand.
I reckon they knew there's a good chance permission wouldn't be granted, so they get round it with the retrospective permission process that lasts long enough to cover the summer season.

 

[nst68]

I dont see too much wrong with it tbh, i mean its in their car park. I'm surprised u need permission to add a marquee to your own car park.

I doubt you'd need permission for a marquee, but they they're trading from it.

 

[nst68]

My beef is how they're using retrospective planning laws to do something that they'd be banned from doing (that's my assumption).

I bet that this marquee will disappear once the holidays are over and before it goes before a planning committee.

 

[nst68]

Why would they be banned from setting up a marquee and selling products on their premises, happens all the time all over the place. i am surprised any kind of permission would be required at all, no doubt the Tescos managers thought the same. The existence of retroactive planning laws has nothing to do with Tescos!

Tesco have applied for retrospective planning, so they must have know if was needed.

 

[nst68]

it's like someone moaning about me setting up a car boot market in my driveway and selling goods. If someone complained I'd tell them to **** off! The op sounds like a disgruntled worker tbh

I may be a disgruntled worker, but that's for an IT company