PRESERVATION chiefs are calling on planners to secure more information on the impact a supermarket would have on an historic Suffolk town.

Russell Claydon

PRESERVATION chiefs are calling on planners to secure more information on the impact a supermarket would have on an historic Suffolk town.

Controversial proposals to build a multi-million pound Tesco store in the heart of a designated conservation area in Hadleigh are still missing vital details, it has been claimed.

Suffolk Preservation Society (SPS) last night said it was impossible to assess the full affect the 3,000 sq metre store on the Brett Works site would have on some of the town's most historic buildings as specific information was missing.

Richard Ward, society director, said: “We believe that a number of fundamental questions arose as soon as this application was submitted, and many still remain unanswered.

“The society feels that some vital information is missing, and the proposal cannot be properly considered while that is the case. We would urge Babergh to ensure these gaps are filled before this matter goes any further.”

Amongst their concerns for the project, which is still in the consultation stage before the council review the plans, is the proposed demolition of the historic Bridge House to make way for an access road and the impact of the road itself, which they do not believe is addressed in the plans.

Mr Ward also said they had sent a letter to Tesco and the council back in April asking for the concerns to be addressed but had still not heard anything.

He said the plans to build the store on the designated site also flew in the face of government policy.

“Hadleigh has a special and distinct character, and we have grave concerns about the massive affect which this proposal would have,” he said. “The Brett Works site, and more importantly the entrance to it, falls inside the town's conservation area and, in our opinion, the proposal contradicts government planning policy which states that developments in these areas should work to preserve or enhance their special character.”

Food giant Tesco has been trying to build a store in Hadleigh since 1999, when it first submitted plans that were rejected at a public inquiry.

The latest plans were put before the district council in February and the company said it had addressed the concerns that had previously existed.

Michael Kissman, corporate affairs manager for Tesco, said: “Clearly the council will let us know if there is a problem as part of the democratic planning process.

“I am passionate about this scheme as it is a derelict burnt-out warehouse and you have not got an area crying out for development more than that in the whole of East Anglia.”

Babergh District Council was unavailable for comment at the time of going to press.