Permission to build a controversial £25 million superstore in return for a £3 million cinema the town was so desperate for.

Tesco wanted to relocate and Worksop needed a multi-screen so the council linked the two planning applications to guarantee that a new supermarket would only open if the town got a new leisure complex – paid for by Tesco money.

At least, that was the big idea.

Now, after five years of protests, public consultations, stormy meetings and wrangling, not a brick has been laid on either site and the town is still up in arms over a new Bassetlaw Council decision to separate the two planning applications.

Despite fresh assurances issued today by developer Henry Boot people still fear they will get the Tesco many bitterly oppose but no cinema after the council appeared to create a loophole for the scheme to fall through.

Work is due to start on the supermarket within three weeks but the leisure centre site won't begin until 'the autumn' say Sheffield-based Henry Boot who still have to finalise details of drainage and surface water disposal with the Environment Agency.

There is a December deadline on the deal which means all parties can walk away then if agreements have not been reached.
Local Labour MP John Mann fears the leisure complex will never be built at all.

He is on the political warpath using words like 'hoodwinked' and 'betrayal', the Worksop Guardian newspaper is running a front-page campaign demanding officials 'Save Our Cinema' while the ruling Conservative council accuses Mann of using innuendo and creating false impressions for his own political ends.

The council insists the leisure development will go ahead, Henry Boot bosses are annoyed to the point of apoplexy over the allegations and counter-allegations and say nothing has changed. Tesco insists the two projects are still on track.

People in the town – suspicious of their council and all-conquering Tesco – don't know who to believe.

"If nothing has changed why did Henry Boot ask the council to separate the two planning applications?" says Mr Mann.

"If there had been two separate planning applications in the first place I reckon the Tesco plan wouldn't have got through without a public inquiry, and that's what we need now to sort this mess out.

"What the new loophole effectively means is that if the plan to build the cinema and leisure facilities is not cost-effective they don't have to build it. Boots and the council have agreed to this, why?
"They say they have not reached an agreement with the Environment Agency but I have a copy of an email that shows agreement was reached with the Agency and Henry Boot's contractors on April 2. So why hasn't it gone ahead since then?

"There are similar issues with Boot and Tesco and other supermarkets in areas like Weston Super Mare, Great Yarmouth, Falkirk and Abergavenny.
"The payment terms are critical in this and I want to call the council's bluff. I think the council are so desperate for money they have agreed anything to keep Tesco on board.

"The council will take £10 million for the Tesco land and £2 million for the other. The council should be saying we will build the leisure complex no matter what. If they are not going to build a cinema the council cabinet should resign and fight a by-election."

But deputy leader of Bassetlaw Council Terry Yates says John Mann is merely making political mischief.

"This is a straightforward commercial deal to help regenerate Worksop," he said.

"Tesco will have to hand over the money for both projects before they can start building the supermarket. That is the deal. There will be a cinema and leisure development.

"We have earmarked almost £3 million of the Tesco money for that. The rest will go on renovation projects in Worksop and Retford.

"People have chosen for their own political purposes to create doubt and mischief around this project and that's all this is.

"The whole thing has gone through two difficult years. and now the county council highways department have said the road alterations at the entrance to the new Tesco are acceptable and Tesco want to start work on their site.

"There is nothing sinister in that. The last details of the Turner Road site are to be agreed with the Environment Agency so we agreed to separate the two applications so that work could start on the Tesco site."

"It's merely a timing issue."

Timing issue or conspiracy? Henry Boot insist work will begin in the autumn. Others doubt it.

Everyone will know by the December deadline whether that's the case or not.

But by then of course it will be too late to do anything about it.
Two fields and one big idea - next page.