Campaign group to be launched in Whitchurch Tesco fight

Business leaders fighting Tesco's plans to build an out-of-town store in Whitchurch were due to meet today to officially launch a new campaign group.

Traders and businesspeople in the town have formed a group called WH21, which is calling on the supermarket giant to stay at its current site in the town centre.

Members fear out-of-town developments, like the one Tesco is proposing for Edgeley Park, would make a thriving town centre harder to sustain and divert trade from independent traders.

Speaking ahead of today's meeting, Whitchurch landlord and property developer Mike Bate, who is one of WH21's founders, said: "Independent shops in Whitchurch are struggling and while we are not against Tesco, we are against them moving to an out-of-town site. Instead they should expand where they are."

Currently Tesco has not lodged a planning application for Edgeley Park.

But its proposals have already won support from members of the rugby club, paving the way for a planning application to go before Shirehall officials, possibly by March.

Its proposals include a new petrol station and car park at Edgeley Park while the White Lion Meadow site would be redeveloped to create a smaller Tesco store.

The race to build a new supermarket in Whitchurch has hotted up in recent weeks with rival Sainsbury's having just lodged its plan for a store closer to the town centre on land off London Road.