POSITIVE views to a Tesco supermarket coming to Tavistock were expressed by residents at a consultation event this week, ahead of plans for the store being submitted in the next month.

Feedback from the public will form part of the application to the borough council for the former Focus building in Plymouth Road.

Healthy competition for the Morrisons store and bringing a building back into use which has become an eyesore over the last 18 months were the main reasons why people indicated support for the scheme.

Owners of the building, Marchfield Properties, held two consultation days, one at the former Focus store and one in Tavistock Town Hall. The company said it was pleased with the support on day one of the consultation.

Town resident Mike Chamberlain said Tavistock needed to be more competitive and another supermarket was well overdue: 'I think it is time residents had a say in things. At the moment the town seems to be run by the Chamber of Commerce and if the chamber says no, that's it.

'Tavistock's a great little town but it needs to move forward — it is full of cafés and charity shops.'

Many visitors to the exhibition said they thought the town centre would survive competition from another supermarket, because of its range of independent shops and the traders like the butchers, which were 'first class'.

Kay and Derek Hodgson said it would be a shame to see the Focus building, constructed in 2006, going to waste.

'It will generate an empty building,' said Mrs Hodgson. 'I go to Launceston and Plymouth to Tesco at the moment but I also go to Morrisons. I think the addition of the Tesco here will shake up Morrisons and make it better. I also think that it will not impact on the town centre as it will not be offering anything Morrisons does not already offer.'

But Terry Kelly from Whitchurch Post Office said he was against the plans, as the talk of 100 new jobs for the town from the development did not allow for the jobs that would be lost elsewhere.

'The town needs a DIY store and that is what should here,' he said.

Jonathan James from Marchfield Properties said the site had been marketed for nearly two years, as one unit, two units, three and four — but no DIY chains were interested.

'Believe me if we had an approach from Comet or Homebase we would have been delighted but that didn't happen,' he said.

A Tesco store could be up and running within 18 months depending on planning permission. Tavistock Chamber of Commerce has been advised by a planning consultant to fight against the plans, as it did with a Sainsburys application five years ago, because of potential impact on town centre trade. But chamber members did last week agree to invite Marchfield Properties to their next meeting to discuss the Tesco plans.

Jonathan James added there had been a lot of support expressed because people wanted to see this prominent site brought back into economic use. 

'Tesco has demonstrated its commitment to make this happen and is prepared to make a considerable investment in Tavistock and in doing so fulfil the need for greater choice for shoppers as well as providing much needed employment opportunities for job seekers in the town,' he said.

'We recognise the importance of the town centre and that there is an essential balance to be struck and our proposal is more than a third smaller than the previous Sainsbury's application.  This is also brownfield land with an existing retail planning consent.'