I FEEL obliged to put pen to paper once again in reply to Steve Moore's letter about Tesco in the Times of August 29. The Tesco plan has been comprehensively rejected and Mr Moore would do well to let the matter rest. However his letter should not go unchallenged.

Let's examine his main point — the 180 jobs promised by Tesco. Many of these would have been part time or would have been given to experienced staff brought in specially to run a store the size of the one which was proposed and so of limited benefit to local people.  It's well documented elsewhere that the average loss of jobs in a local community as the result of such a store would be 276. This represents a net loss of employment to the town.

I would also challenge Mr Moore over the effect Tesco stores have had in Launceston and Crediton.

I have talked to local people in those locations who would point to the debilitating effect the out of town stores have had. Supporting these perspectives are both national and local planning initiatives – The National Policy Planning Framework, (NPPF) The Portas Report and the West Devon Borough Council retail survey to name but three.

All these focus on the negative effects of large supermarkets outside a designated retail area.

We've got three supermarkets already which by common consent is plenty for a town the size of Okehampton.

We need to support the likes of the food stalls of the farmers market and local shops in town who provide not only cheap food but of excellent quality. That way lies a busy, sustainable future and a million miles from the 'leave me to die' attitude Mr Moore cites, which I just don't recognise.

Paul Wilson

Station Road

Okehampton