What does Wycombe District Council and, in particular, the planning department, have against locally owned and operated businesses?

By allowing the large supermarkets to dominate the area they have driven a number of local shops out of business.

For example, the corner shop at Terriers when Tesco opened at the garage on the other side of the road; the local shop at Cressex when Tesco opened what was the Turnpike pub.

Having failed to close the store in Downley Village by opening another Tesco – it is just a little too far away – they are now allowing Morrisons to convert the Downley Donkey pub, which is nearer.

There are eight, yes eight, Tesco stores in High Wycombe and it’s about to become nine when the new store in Sands opens.

Though Tesco is dominating the area, Sainsbury’s are in the game with the store in Flackwell Heath which closed Budgens, and there are others.

It has been shown that for every pound spent in these supermarket stores, only 5p stays in the local community.

Whereas the figure is close to 50p for locally owned and operated stores.

Surely this must be better for the local economy?

At the very least the local authority should place a planning condition on these large stores that they stock a “meaningful” amount of locally produced and sourced products. — Roland Wales, Burnham Road, Hughenden Valley