Following my surgery at the Morrison's Cafe this morning, I was pleased to meet with the team from Tesco in Hatch End to discuss a number of issues impacting stores.
I was interested to hear their perspective on the National Planning Policy Framework and in particular the ‘town centre first’ principle, which places town centres at the heart of decisions made by national and local government, businesses and communities. This is a topic that has been on my radar for a while, both as Chair of the APPG for Housing and Planning and from following the Levelling Up Bill on its passage through the Commons and now the Lords.
We also discussed the existing fruit and vegetable shortages, largely caused by the impact of extreme weather in countries where this produce is sourced. Not only are these issues affecting the UK, but they are also being reflected in the Republic of Ireland and Central Europe. However, I am assured that measures have been introduced to minimise disruption and know that the Government is monitoring this industry-wide issue closely.
Lastly, it was good to get feedback on the Windsor Framework, as was agreed by the Prime Minister and the European Union recently. I understand that while implications are being assessed by Tesco, in general the legislation will benefit trading arrangements and is a positive step forward.
I am grateful to the team at Tesco for their time this morning, and look forward to visiting again in the future.
