Sample welcomes Tesco withdrawal from the Salisbury Maltings Redevelopment

Salisbury City Centre Councillor Paul Sample has welcomed the withdrawal of Tesco from the Salisbury Maltings redevelopment bidding war.

He said today: "I am pleased that Tesco has withdrawn from the bidding process for the Salisbury Maltings redevelopment project.

"We already have two Tesco stores in Salisbury. When it was built, the store at Southampton Road/Petersfinger store was one of the largest Tesco developments in England.

"We also have the smaller convenience store in Castle Street. Tesco is already over-represented in the City and their influence on the nature of retail shopping in the city has been marked.

"It has made it much harder for independent retailers in the City to survive. Tesco's vacuum cleaner approach to retail trade, which Hoovers up all before it, is well known.

"Their involvement in the development process for The Maltings was a real concern to me.

"They have a reputation for a style of development which is all too familiar and generic in nature. Sadly, one Tesco development looks very similar to any other.

"What we need for this City Centre site is something more unique, with more character and style.

"Something of which the whole community can be proud.

"Tesco have done the right thing by falling on their swords at this stage and are to be congratulated for doing so."