Tesco: Review readers have spoken

The result of our poll sends a clear message to supermarket giant Tesco: "You're not wanted in London Road." (See full list below).

Our phonelines did not stop ringing and our website went into overdrive with the vast majority of Review readers taking a defiant stand against Tesco.

When we contacted Tesco with our findings, corporate affairs manager Michael Kissman said: "As the Review has already reported, independent research not commissioned by Tesco has shown a majority of people are either in favour or neutral about our proposals.

"Planning applications are not decided on the basis of phone calls, they are based on planning law and technical reports, and decided by elected councillors.

"A phone-in is a self-selecting sample of people who choose to phone up."

But Simon Hepburn of the Stop Tesco campaign said: "This shows what the people of St Albans really think about the proposed Tesco store.

"The figures speak for themselvse.

"Tesco can spin it however it wants but people don't want it.

"Look at the comments on the Review's website - people say again and again it will cause traffic and pollution, and something else should be done with that site."

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate Sandy Walkington added: "I am not at all surprised. Everywhere I go, not just in the London Road area, the vast majority of people say it is the wrong place - a supermarket in that location is not going to bring anything but problems.

"There are a very small number of people who are pro, because they think it will bring jobs.

"But it will cost jobs, in the market and the smaller shops. People are very, very opposed."

TOTAL: 1,607 votes

Yes: 267 (16.6 per cent)

No: 1,340 (83.4 per cent)

Phone vote: 742 votes

Yes: 187 (25.2 per cent)

No: 555 (74.8 per cent)

Internet: 472 votes

Yes: 35 (7.4 per cent)

No: 437 (92.6 per cent)

Email: 274 votes

Yes: 24 (8.9 per cent)

No: 250 (91.2 per cent)

Texts: 119 votes

Yes: 21 (17.6 per cent)

No: 98 (82.4 per cent)