Whitchurch group calls for rethink over out-of-town superstores

Business bosses in a Shropshire town have formed a new group in a bid to stop supermarket giants opening out-of-town developments.

Shop owners in Whitchurch have founded WH21, which is calling on supermarket giant Tesco to scrap plans for a new store on the outskirts of the town.

Members of the new group fear developments like the one Tesco is proposing for Edgeley Park would sound the death knell for the town centre.

Instead WH21 wants the retailer to consider re-developing its store at White Lion Meadow in the town centre.

The group believes out-of-town supermarkets would make a thriving town centre harder to sustain.

Whitchurch landlord Mike Bate has called on business people to fight for the town centre's survival, saying a supermarket on the outskirts of town would divert trade from independent traders.

He said: "We want to try to persuade Tesco to stay within the town centre.

"I think it's safe to say every trader within Whitchurch is against Tesco opening a new shop at the rugby club. If they go there I can see a situation where outsiders coming in to Whitchurch will shop there and then go away again without coming in to the town centre."

Mr Bate said WH21 is to hold its first meeting, which is open to all, on January 11 at Rendezvous in Park Avenue from 11am.