Every little helps, so tell us what’s in store

DEATH KNOLL . . . demolition experts tackle the Knoll Mill site in readiness for the new Tesco store.

COUNCILLOR Richard Knowles labelled it the blackest day in Saddleworth’s history when, in 2005, Tesco won planning permission to build a 25,000ft store in Greenfield.

Yet five years on, and as the bulldozers only now begin tearing down Knoll Mill, local businesses and residents have been met by a wall of silence and are asking: “What has happened to Tesco?”

Jim Stanford, owner of Greenfield’s greengrocer’s, said: “We are in limbo because absolutely no-one knows what is going on. Nobody tells us anything.

“At the moment we’re OK, but the effects could be catastrophic. It is useless throwing money at our business now while Tesco is still looming down the road, but we will carry on as usual for our customers.”

Uppermill butcher Paul Lowcock said: “I saw the effects from day one at my shop in Lees when the Co-op opened, but with the terrible parking situation in the villages now, people will go to Tesco for the convenience of transport.

“I had to close the shop down in Lees, like many others, but I have been trading in Uppermill for 20 years and my regular customers will continue to come. I will not go down without a fight.”

After five attempts by the Chronicle to make contact, Tesco declined to answer questions about what the delay has been and when the store will be finally ready to open.

Outline planning permission for the store was granted on December 6, 2005, after a strong but unsuccessful campaign by locals, but a time limit to complete the project under the current application has not been set.

Work has been carried out to complete the Kingfisher pub and the new marina, while Wiggett Homes has begun building phase one of its adjacent housing development.

Lib-Dem councillor Knowles said: “Tesco has a long history of acquiring the sites and sitting on them so that other supermarkets cannot get in — but the store is now inevitable.

“My view is the same as five years ago: it will have a devastating effect on local food shops.

“My only hope now is that people realise that shopping at local stores that pride themselves on giving suppliers a fair price and selling high-quality products is still worthwhile.”

The Greenfield and Grasscroft Residents’ Association, which opposed the supermarket plan at the time, is still hoping that the idea to locate a new health centre at the site could be reopened for discussion.