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Tuesday, 9th February 2010

Road plan is holding up Fareham superstore

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Published Date:
30 June 2009
Plans to redesign a busy town centre roundabout are delaying the building of a new superstore.
Tesco has admitted it is still trying to agree plans for the £2m redevelopment of Quay Street roundabout in Fareham.

The supermarket giant can only build a store off Quay Street if it can agree a scheme with Hampshire County Council to improve tra
ffic flow.

But Melanie Chiswell, spokeswoman for Tesco, said the redesign of the roundabout was holding up the plans.

'We are still trying to come to an agreement with Fareham Borough Council and Hampshire County Council as to how the lanes and footpaths around the site work,' she said.

'It's very complicated and that's what's taking the time.'

Tesco needs to redevelop the roundabout – used by around 50,000 vehicles a day – to cope with the extra traffic.

Previous plans have included introducing traffic signals to the junction and a new 'through-about' route. This will allow vehicles coming north from the A32 Gosport Road to cut through the roundabout and straight on to the A27 Eastern Way.

Fareham Borough Council gave Tesco provisional planning permission about a year ago.

But until the roundabout scheme is confirmed, it cannot get the full planning consent and begin work.

Hampshire County Council said it was waiting for Tesco to finalise the plans.

However Fareham council leader Sean Woodward said he had no doubts the store would still be built.

He said: 'Tesco are 100 per cent committed to this scheme.

'There's no worry about them pulling out, or doubt they will do this because I know they've put millions of pounds into this. They own the land.

'It would be very strange for them to run away from it.

'I think it's just the solicitors holding this up, probably just wrangling over wording of the agreement.

'I just wish the solicitors would pull their fingers out.

'I'm know I'm frustrated about the delay and so are the residents of Fareham.'


COUNCIL APPROVED

Fareham Borough Council's planning committee approved the proposals for a new 70,000 sq ft Tesco on the old foundry site in Fareham town centre by five votes to three.

Tesco expects to employ 400 staff at the Quay Street store – but they will be banned from using the supermarket's car park. Councillors were concerned at the potential effect that would have on surrounding residential roads, but Tesco has pledged £45,000 towards a residents' parking scheme.

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  • Last Updated: 30 June 2009 11:15 AM
  • Source: The News
  • Location: Portsmouth
 
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Johnny ,

30/06/2009 15:49:55
The problem with Quay Street Roundabout from a planning point of view is that it's too hemmed in: the railway viaduct, creek, etc, make it very hard to improve. The worst possible thing you could do is block it off at another side.

At least in its current state you can move the bottom of Market Quay car park to the top of the planned Tesco site, leaving you with room to expand the roundabout and do various things to it. At a push you could fit a proper dual carriageway flyover in there, or there's plenty of room for a tidal flow operation.

Nice to see that the council have decided to assist Tesco - possibly to stop them fiddling with the predicted traffic flows!
2

Whiteley Resident,

30/06/2009 15:59:38
I was wondering where the 400 staff were going to park. I suppose they wont all be there at the same time and not everyone has a car but there must still be a significant number.
3

Niel,

Smuff 30/06/2009 16:08:35
Well if the asshat in the AUDI estate coming up from Gosport chopping the lanes and cutting everyone up to over/under/over take the traffic this morning is anything to go by, it'll just be a waste of effort, just put traffic lights and an east bound fly over in and have done with it!
4

Johnny ,

Fareham 30/06/2009 17:38:40
Niel - the roundabout is too small for more traffic lights. An eastbound flyover was planned in the '80s but scrapped.

Anyhow, it turns out it's easier than I thought. This is my solution:
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/4024/quaystreet.jpg

Obviously cost and construction are problems, but that's what you get for doing things properly. It'd be lower than the existing junction and will actually make the junction more pedestrian friendly and gives the houses more room. I was surprised to see how much space was left over too.

I expect a few certain other people on here who may have a more radical solution...
5

Another Whiteley Resident,

01/07/2009 02:40:02
"'Tesco are 100 per cent committed to this scheme.

'There's no worry about them pulling out, or doubt they will do this because I know they've put millions of pounds into this.' "

Ahem, Debenhams....
6

Facts Not Fiction,

01/07/2009 08:25:06
'I think it's just the solicitors holding this up ... I just wish the solicitors would pull their fingers out.

That's a bummer, especially when it stops the truth coming out, hey Sean!!!!
7

Yocal,

01/07/2009 11:37:52
I'm guessing Tesco will bully and manipulate their way through this as they have done in Havant.

If Tescos was built, people wouldn't miss it a great deal and the traffic wouldn't be greater.

Oh, and it's nice to see that they admit traffic will be greater. eg. people will be going to Tescos instead of somewhere else.

And of course the councillors will do anything they can to please Tescos. Because of the myth that it will create jobs.
In Havant the HBC councillors rejected their own independent report that was against Tescos and instead accepted Tescos funded report.
8

Yocal,

01/07/2009 11:44:13
I would like to ask what the environmental issues that Sean Woodward has considered when allowing this project to go forward.

I assume Fareham council has signed the Nottingham Declaration which means that their policies should encourage reductions in green house gases.

What analysis has been done on these projects to confirm this is the case?
9

Whiteley Resident,

01/07/2009 13:21:41
'I assume Fareham council has signed the Nottingham Declaration which means that their policies should encourage reductions in green house gases.'
I think FBC are doing their best to make Fareham less attractive to car users :-)
10

Lummo,

Locksheath 01/07/2009 22:26:58
I think the plans for this new store are silly, we don't need ANOTHER Tesco around here, theres one just down the road in North Harbour, one in Whiteley, and a huge one in Bursledon. Theres already a Sainsbury's in Fareham, M&S inside shopping centre and a rather big recently upgraded ASDA just down the road also, another Tesco will be absurd, hope they do ditch it. Effects on traffic will be horrendous, which it is already bad enough...
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