Does every little help local shops?

By Tom Foster

Business owners are concerned over plans for a new Tesco Express store to open near Narborough Road.

Tesco has confirmed that they will be opening a new supermarket sometime this spring on the site of the recently closed ‘The Quay’ pub.

The store will be built on Western Boulevard in an area already surrounded by various independent and branded stores.

Jaweed Matiwala, owner of Ghosia Pound shop & Groceries on Narborough Road, said: “Even at the moment we’ve hardly survived. If they open, we will definitely have to close.

“I think the council should do more to support local businesses.”

A Sainsbury’s local supermarket already occupies a store opposite the future Tesco, and there are various large supermarkets such as Asda, Iceland and even another Tesco situated in the Westcote area.

The large supermarket chain has been accused of ‘bully boy’ strategies, by another local supermarket owner.

Viresh Popat, 30, co-owner of the nearby Nisa store, said: “I don’t think the area requires anything new. I don’t think they’ll bring anything new to the area.”

But he remained optimistic that the arrival of more big business doesn’t spell the end for smaller independent shops.

He added: “I don’t think it will have a massive impact as long as we do what we do right.”

“We know a lot of local people by name. That’s what a local store is about really.”

Leicester City Council, who is responsible for the site, has indicated that no planning permission was required, and it was a decision solely undertaken by the supermarket chain.

A city council spokesman said: “As the building has already been a bar, Tesco does not need any further planning permission to change its use to a shop,  although the firm would need to apply for planning permission to make any related changes, such as creating a new shop front.”

WEST LEICS WEEK 3

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