Tesco's Letter to NBCA

26 January 2009

Dear Ms Forster,

Many thanks for your letter of the 18th January. I would like to reassure you that Tesco are committed to investing in New Barnet.

As I hope you will understand, the creation of a major proposal to revitalise a town centre does take time and should not be rushed. To ensure that the application is the best it possibly can be for New Barnet, it is essential that sufficient care is-taken over both the design of the scheme and the application itself.

Our plans have undergone an extremely thorough period of consultation, beginning last January. We have held two public exhibitions, attended a public meeting and held numerous smaller events for local groups and residents. Throughout this process, the invaluable constructive comments we have received from the local community have been incorporated into our proposals.

Whilst this process does take time, we believe that through it, we are creating a scheme that offers a great deal to the centre of New Barnet.

The public exhibitions we have held have been well publicised through the local press, letters and leaflets to ensure that as many people as possible have had an opportunity to comment on our proposals.

We would like to thank those who have engaged in this process in such a constructive manner.

We are continuing to work with Barnet Council before we submit a planning application. This will be a detailed application accompanied by all the technical information required by the Council. We are aware that the level of investment we are offering in the local area is very difficult to find in today's economic climate and look forward to the Council judging our application on its merits.

Yours sincerely,

JAMES WIGGAM
Corporate Affairs Manager