Tesco agrees air pollution will be a priority

Following Anne's strong representations to Tesco about the potential impact of traffic and pollution in the London Road area

Following Anne's strong representations to Tesco about the potential impact of traffic and pollution in the London Road area, the company have confirmed that they intend to conduct a survey of air quality and traffic in the area.

Mr Kissman, Tesco Corporate Affairs Manager, agreed to discuss Anne's concerns with the Tesco team and the following week, he issued a written reply.

In his letter, Mr Kissman said:

"Our final planning application will contain a detailed Environment Statement which will itself contain a section on air quality. We have already instructed experts in this area, Jacobs, to write this report. As part of their work they have already carried out some testing in order to establish a baseline for air quality in the area. The full report will be completed for submission with the planning application."

Mr Kissman went on to say that the results of the report will also be a matter of public record.

Reacting to Mr Kissman's letter, Anne said:

"Any large development in the London Road area is bound to generate large volumes of traffic impacting on local roads, congestion and also the air quality. Following my discussions with Mr Kissman I am pleased Tesco are now preparing to examine air quality issues in the area of their proposed store.

The local Council should also consider having their own, independent, assessment of the current air quality and traffic levels to ensure we can assess the impact of this extra traffic and emissions. I have written to them asking if they are proposing to evaluate the area.

I am extremely worried about a store of this size and its environmental impact. When it's a question of people's health we must ensure we get it right.""