Ever head of the term ‘Tesco Towns’, probably not a phrase banded about openly but one which sums up the state of our current high streets and the dominance that the ‘big four’ are having over our shopping habits and experiences. To sum it up the convenience of shopping with everything under one roof and buying food in plastic containers processed beyond all recognition without fear of a parking ticket. Go to the high street and you run the risk of a dozen parking wardens leaping on your car the minute your ticket expires, but at least you get the chance to buy quality produce which more often than not is produced locally and therefore supports your local economy.
Well it looks like planning authorities are finally realising this too and the changes in law would suggest that the big four will be unable to seize a dominant position in a locally based market. To put this into perspective shoppers in Perth (Scotland) are now buying 60% of their groceries from Tesco! In their defence however the are not forcing people into their stores but its about time people realise there needs to be a balance in order to maintain a healthy economy.