Council sends letter to Tesco boss as campaign for company to drop prices at Leamington store rolls on

Warwick District Councillors voted unanimously to support the campaign last week and have all signed the letter sent to the supermarket chain's managing director
Protestors outside the Tesco branch in Leamington town centre.Protestors outside the Tesco branch in Leamington town centre.
Protestors outside the Tesco branch in Leamington town centre.

Warwick district councillors have sent a letter to a boss of Tesco as the campaign to get the company to drop its prices at its town centre store in Leamington rolls on.

At the meeting last week, councillors across all parties voted unanimously to support the campaign and to sign a letter which has now been sent from the authority's chairman Cllr Neale Murphy to Tesco MD Kevin Tindall.

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The letter explains the events of the meeting, during which Leamington resident Peter Glanfield gave an impassioned speech appealing for the council to support the campaign after it had been presented with a petition of more than 900 signatures from people opposed to the price hikes - which are the result of Tesco rebranding the store in the parade from a Metro to an Express branch in the summer.

Cllr Murphy has said that the authority understands that Tesco is currently reviewing its decision about the status of the store and welcomed the engagement the company has had with campaigners who, like councillors, want the branch to become a superstore to bring prices of items in line with those at the Emscote Road supermarket in Warwick.

Cllr Murphy said: "Councillors were gravely concerned about the additional costs to shoppers at a time of rising pressure on household costs, and the loss of a vital amenity especially for the more elderly, less able, vulnerable, and disadvantaged if the store were to be designated as an Express.

"There was no party-political motivation behind the council’s resolution which is in response to and in support of significant concern to our community in this town.

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"The district council has recently established a transformation board to consider the future strategic development of the central area of Leamington.

"There are several important developments already underway and changing patterns of use.

"There are other developments that we need to consider with our partners to ensure the future economic prosperity, creativity, and attractiveness of the town to residents, visitors, businesses, and other organisations.

"As this project gets underway, we very much hope that Tesco Plc will want to be part of our thinking and consideration of these important matters."

A response to the letter is expected by December 1.

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