New Tesco open despite protest

A new Tesco Express superstore has opened in the small town of Westhoughton, despite strong local protest.

The new store, less than four miles away from a ‘main’ Tesco Extra superstore has been built in response to Sainsbury’s plans to build a supermarket in the town.

The new store on Manchester Road employs 24 staff that has been trained at other Tesco stores.

The shop will be open between 6am and 11pm seven days a week.

The store offers customers fresh produce, ready meals and snacks as well as newspapers and magazines.

Plans were submitted for the store nearly a year ago, amid speculation that Sainsbury’s were planning to increase their presence in the area.

Tesco were quick to submit plans to Bolton Council to replace a car showroom, which shut down last year.

The new development means tough competition to local convenience shops, including the Here To Please You Store opposite the new store.

David Bridge, 41, has owned the store for 15 years. He said: “I strongly petitioned against it. Since it’s been open, I’ve lost 50 per cent of my business. It’s evened out to about 30 per cent less at the moment. Most of the regulars are still coming but it’s going to be a tough year. I think that if I can get through this year with a bit of help from the bank, I should be ok”.

South Westhoughton Councillor David Chadwick established the Save Westhoughton Act Now (SWAN) organisation 10 years ago to protect the areas of green around the town.

He said: “We didn’t object to the Tesco Express being built. It went through because it was a brownfield site. This is a personal opinion, I just feel sorry for David at the Here To Please You Store. Now David is in the situation where Tesco want to open until 11 at night, so it is unfair competition really.”

A source within the new store said that management were happy with the store’s early business. The source said: “Things have been going really well, we’ve been really busy and people seem to like it”.