Tesco's decision to appeal against Competition Commission (CC) recommendations has been panned by retail trade associations.
ACS chief executive James Lowman accused the supermarket giant of being "divorced from what is in the best long-term interests of consumers," while the Rural Shops Alliance's Ken Parsons said the appeal "smacked of arrogance".
Tesco has launched a legal challenge against recommendations by the CC to introduce a competition test into UK planning, ahead of publication of the government's draft reforms of town centre first planning policy later this month.
Lowman branded the supermarket's appeal as an "attempt to delay and subvert the outcome of the inquiry" while Parsons said Tesco should "understand there has to be a limit to the market share one company can be allowed to achieve in the UK grocery market".
Lowman revealed that ACS would not appeal itself, but instead its full focus would be on making a difference to the legacy of the inquiry. He said the introduction of a retail ombudsman was vital as the role could "address the worst excesses of abuse of buyer power in the market place".
"This inquiry has been only one part of the wider debate about reform of town centre first planning policy. ACS continues to oppose any weakening of existing policy to make it easier to build out-of-town supermarkets," he added.
Tesco claims that a competition test would introduce another barrier into the planning process.
Reacting to this, Lowman added: "Tesco's desire to quash even this indicates how divorced it has become from what is in the best long-term interests of consumers."
ACS chief executive James Lowman accused the supermarket giant of being "divorced from what is in the best long-term interests of consumers," while the Rural Shops Alliance's Ken Parsons said the appeal "smacked of arrogance".
Tesco has launched a legal challenge against recommendations by the CC to introduce a competition test into UK planning, ahead of publication of the government's draft reforms of town centre first planning policy later this month.
Lowman branded the supermarket's appeal as an "attempt to delay and subvert the outcome of the inquiry" while Parsons said Tesco should "understand there has to be a limit to the market share one company can be allowed to achieve in the UK grocery market".
Lowman revealed that ACS would not appeal itself, but instead its full focus would be on making a difference to the legacy of the inquiry. He said the introduction of a retail ombudsman was vital as the role could "address the worst excesses of abuse of buyer power in the market place".
"This inquiry has been only one part of the wider debate about reform of town centre first planning policy. ACS continues to oppose any weakening of existing policy to make it easier to build out-of-town supermarkets," he added.
Tesco claims that a competition test would introduce another barrier into the planning process.
Reacting to this, Lowman added: "Tesco's desire to quash even this indicates how divorced it has become from what is in the best long-term interests of consumers."
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