20/06/06

Lib Dem / Tory Council set to bin principles for Tesco’s cash

Liam Byrne, MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill today warned that Birmingham City Council will be ignoring their own report on traffic problems in Hodge Hill if they approve a planning application for a Tesco megastore on the Brockhurst playing fields in Hodge Hill.

One of the major concerns of local residents and elected representatives is the impact that supermarket traffic would have on the roads around Hodge Hill. A new Tesco store would not only lead to delivery lorries, but also increased customer traffic.

At the same time, a transport review of Hodge Hill district uncovered that traffic is the second biggest problem people in Hodge Hill want tackled. The review recognised that congestion is already a major problem on the main routes during peak hours, and that there is concern within the community over air quality, noise and road safety. The report also recognised that roads around the Fox and Goose are a traffic accident hotspot.

The transportation review identified four key priorities for the Local Transport Plan, to:
1. reduce congestion;
2. improve accessibility for all;
3. improve air quality;
4. improve road safety.

A Tesco’s megastore will intensify, rather than address these problems. Supermarkets are designed for car users and will bring additional traffic to the local area.

Research for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs suggests that car use for shopping results in costs to society of more than £3.5 billion per year – made up of traffic emissions, noise, accidents, congestion and accidents.

Supermarkets also require regular deliveries increasing the number of heavy goods vehicles on the road. The transportation review found that a lack of main routes in Hodge Hill means heavy goods vehicles must use ‘unsuitable residential roads in order to access destinations within the area.’

What’s more evidence from areas where supermarkets have opened show that local retailers will struggle and close down. The closure of local shops in Hodge Hill, would hit non car owners particularly hard - in Hodge Hill, this accounts to 44% of households who do not own a car, while and public transport is described by the transportation review as ‘poor’ – with only 59% of the local population within 10 minutes of a local centre.

Liam said:

‘Birmingham City Council have set out clear transportation priorities that are supported by the people of Hodge Hill. Top of this list is tackling the problems of traffic and congestion. However, the Tesco proposal would take traffic levels through the roof.’

‘A single supermarket is fine if you own a car – but 44% of households in Hodge Hill don’t. The additional congestion, in combination with the inevitable shop closures will exclude people from their own community.’

‘Birmingham’s own review identified access to local shops as a key priority for the area. Yet this Tory – Lib Dem Council seem all too willing to destroy the local retail sector in favour of becoming just another supermarket suburb. This will be bad for the local people, bad for the local economy and bad for the local environment. What’s more it will inflame problems they themselves have identified.’

ENDS