Shaftesbury shafted
From Cllr Richard Thomas Sir: Would that Shaftesbury had fought as valiantly against Tesco as Dominic Prince suggests (1-low Tesco makes its millions', 12 June). It was once, perhaps, a thriving town. but no longer. The sad truth is that a majority of the population, including the then town council as well as North Dorset District Council, the local planning authority, acquiesced so completely in allowing Tesco into the town that Shaftesbury has probably got less out of one of the richest companies in the land in planning gain than any other town in Britain — under £100,000. And now, because of the loss of our only free all-day public car park to Tesco's bulldozers, trade is so disastrously down in many high-street shops that they may not survive. Some now talk of suing the district council for loss of business and I would not dissuade them. If both local councils had fought Tesco a bit harder. we might have got rather more than a few minor promised road improvements to show for our sacrifice. The district council, which sold the car park to Tesco, pocketed £400,000 over the deal — not a penny of which has yet returned to the town. Handing it back to the town's traders in compensation is the least it can now do. Tesco, of course, will soon be laughing all the way to the bank since no one is asking it to do very much
at all for the privilege of bleeding us dry. Richard Thomas
Chairman, Planning ■Nr Highways Committee. Shaftesbury Town Council, Dorset
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