People Power defeats Tesco scheme

6.00.00pm GMT Tue 31st Oct 2006

Tesco's proposal to redevelop the Town Hall and bus station site at Feethams are set to be rejected by Darlington Council at its meeting on November 23rd. Cllr John Williams, the Leader of the Council, announced in a press release to the Northern Echo, that the overwhelming majority of the public in Darlington were opposed to the plans, and that he would recommend to the Council that they be rejected.

This is a great success for the traders who formed the "Say No to Tesco in Darlington!" - a campaign group set up following a letter in the Echo from Mike Barker, local Lib Dem campaigner who is a retailer in the town centre. The Liberal Democrats were the only party to come out against the plans. Cllr Martin Swainston actively questioned the validity of the consultation process throughout. We recently revealed to the public the results of a Freedom of Information request for all the correspondence between the Council and Tesco which showed that negotiations had been under way for over three years! The full file of this correspondence will be revealed on this site shortly.