Chain store shown the door – vox pop

Rumours continue to fly that Tesco is about to establish a local store in Pontcanna

However, a planning committee decision on 12 October, which refused the application to convert nearby garages into storage space, appears to have put pay to the chain’s interest in the site. 

Councillor Iona Gordon confirmed in the planning committee meeting that Tesco plc had been interested in renting the site on Cathedral Road, although the lack of storage space originally put them off.

She also said she had received numerous letters from local residents claiming that independent businesses would suffer should the chain be allowed to occupy such a central location.

Nearby shops are still anxious because the retail unit, which used to house Ballantyne’s Wine Merchant, remains vacant.