I AM alarmed to see that Tesco have applied, via Marchfield Properties, for planning permission that I believe will ruin Tavistock. Such a pity that a lovely and unique town is threatened with 'suburbia' and utterly spoilt like so many other small towns throughout the country by developements of this nature. 

I know some of the traders adjacent to the Tesco site are in favour, as it will increase footfall, but I think their optimism is ill-founded. 

Shoppers will not, for example, want to buy a picture frame at the nearby gallery just because they happen to be shopping at Tesco.  They will not buy tyres at the nearby tyre depot just because they are shopping at Tesco — the tyre depot gets their business by offering good prices and excellent service not by being next to a supermarket.

Yes, jobs are very important but this ludicrous figure of 'up to' 105 jobs is a hollow promise.  Remember 'up to' could mean just one or two jobs! The vast majority of jobs will be during the conversion of the building and I expect that will be done by specialist shop-fitters from outside the district and only be for a matter of weeks anyway.  Management jobs will be pre-trained retail experts and from outside the district.  The rest will be checkout staff and shelf-stackers most of whom will be part-time. 

Plymouth Road is often congested in the area around the estate and it is already difficult and dangerous entering or leaving the estate. The vast increase in traffic, caused by having yet another supermarket just there, will create long delays, frustration and no doubt become an accident black spot.  The extra lane proposed will be totally ineffective.

I urge the people of Tavistock and district to register their objections to this proposal with West Devon planners before July 18. 

Paul Phillips Sampford Spiney