Yet another town battling against Tesco.

Controversial plans for a large Tesco store in the centre of Penistone, Yorkshire could be decided next week. Councillors are to make a site visit next Tuesday to examine the area affected before holding a meeting at Barnsley Town Hall to discuss the proposals later in the day. The meeting is the culmination of years of debate over the future of Penistone centre and the former cattle market.
Opponents argue that the current proposals are so big that they would have an adverse effect on the market town atmosphere of the community and would put smaller, competing, businesses in the area at risk. Instead, they would prefer the redevelopment to resurrect plans drawn up several years ago which would have allowed the construction of a smaller supermarket along with a new market square, smaller shops and possibly flats above. Those proposals date from 2001 and were discussed at a public meeting in 2003 but have not been advanced since then.
Group spokesman Pete Riley said: "Barnsley Planning Regulatory Board have the power to say no to the Tesco application and invite the developers to come forward with a new proposal which builds on the market town character of Penistone. "It is extraordinary that the earlier plans which were paid for by tax payers have been dropped like a hot potato," he added.