The Tale of a Non-existent Bus Shelter in Stratford Road

Here is an article a little too long perhaps to update folk re the Tesco bus shelter - with thanks to Judith Newman, our Village Agent for additional information - it is quite extraordinary how long this is taking - a real eye-opener into the workings of Tesco, GCC and more - and still years on people are without a bus stop....

Photos: the original photos I took to make the case about numbers waiting in the rain

In Summer 2006 a comment was left on my 'Ruscombe Green' blog about the lack of a bus shelter at the big Tesco in Stratford Park Road. A number of villagers from Randwick, Ruscombe, Cashes Green, Whiteshill and Paganhill all use buses to get to and from Tesco in Stratford Road.

I wrote to Tesco about them putting up a shelter outside their store but got no reply. I contacted Stroud Town Council who also wrote. They had been pushing for this previously but had also had no joy. I wrote again, so did others. I phoned and spoke to the store manager who was supportive of the idea and said they would look at it when their refurbishment plans went forward.

We all waited, then December 2007 we heard that Tesco had approved funding for the shelter - at last plans to give some degree of comfort for the shoppers waiting for the 93, 37 and 230 services plus the Tesco shoppers buses. Since then I must have written well over 50 emails and made many phone calls including many to the contractor employed by Tesco. The design and location details for the shelter were all negotiated, but further delays occurred as improvements to the road junction were being made

In the Autumn I heard that building was likely to start on the shelter imminently. Then all went quiet and just before Christmas the news is that Tesco have postponed plans for a shelter until March. Many of us are deeply disappointed by this move.

The weather is now wet and cold. Many people wait at that stop with their heavy shopping. It is my view that a shelter should have been a condition of building the store in the first place. Indeed this is normally the case when large stores are built. However it wasn't made a condition and so no shelter.

Let us hope that Tesco will give the go-ahead this March for a shelter to improve conditions for their customers using public transport. It surely cannot be lack of profits of Tesco?

Judith Newman, our Village Agent has been collecting information about the shelter. Please tell her how this decision affects you or your family and friends and those more vulnerable people in your community who rely on public transport. She would like to report back to Tesco’s representative the strength of feeling over this decision. Please call Judith on 07776 245791.