Tesco accused of 'impinging' on local businesses after submitting Timpson proposals in Princes Risborough

The proposal would see a Timpson service kiosk installed next to the Tesco superstore on Longwick Road. In a letter to Buckinghamshire Council, Mr Smith said the development risked increasing customer drift from traditional town centre businesses towards supermarket-based retail.

The MP argued that Princes Risborough’s High Street already has an established independent key-cutting shop which has “satisfied local demand” for many years.

The Conservative said: “Whilst I appreciate the positioning of the Tesco store in Princes Risborough… it should not be seeking to impinge on the trade of small independent retail businesses in the High Street.

“If permission is granted for the above application it will be another reason for customer drift towards centralised supermarket shopping at the expense of independent retailers in the High Street.

“Given the current economic pressures on small retail businesses and High Streets in general, it really isn’t appropriate to be encouraging a drift to centralised supermarket shopping, which also has the effect of undermining the objectives within the NPPF to support vibrant High Streets and creating places with a strong sense of character.”

The application is due to be considered by the West Buckinghamshire Area Planning Committee after being called in by Cllrs Gary Hall and Matthew Walsh.

The council officer report states that objections based on competition with existing High Street businesses are not considered valid planning grounds in this case.

Cllr Walsh said: “I do not believe this is the right location for this type of development and I do have concerns about the wider impact it could have on Princes Risborough.

“Whilst this application may seem relatively small on its own, these sorts of kiosks can gradually change the function of supermarket car parks, with more and more commercial units appearing over time.

“I do not think it is healthy for the long-term future of the high street if services that would traditionally sit within the town increasingly move into supermarket car parks with free parking and constant footfall.”

The application is recommended to be permitted, with a report saying the proposed use of the kiosk is appropriate and ancillary to the main retail use of the Tesco in principle.

Cllr Walsh added: “I also have concerns regarding the practical impact on the Tesco site itself. The Princes Risborough store is not comparable to some of the much larger Tesco Extra stores elsewhere in Buckinghamshire with vast parking areas.

“The site here is more constrained and, as a regular user of the store myself, I know the car park is often operating at or close to capacity, particularly at weekends and during peak periods.”