FRUSTRATED residents living near the new Tesco store in Bury look set to pursue compensation claims against the company.

At a meeting on October 23 in Bury Unemployed Workers' Centre on Tithebarn Street - itself in the shadow of the new store - people living in the area around the development at Woodfields Retail Park, off Peel Way raised a variety of points.

Chairman Alec Coleman (75) , of Hornby Street made a case for compensation following "12 months of inconvenience" which he claimed had eroded residents' quality of life.

And he told the meeting that he knew of a case where residents had received £1,100 per household after a store had been built by a different company in another town.

He said: "Many of the people living around the store are elderly, disabled or infirm. The building of the store has left us with an unpleasant situation to deal with."

One resident claimed that people had been "driven out" of the area and those suffering from illness had been made worse. And another said the residents were living on an "industrial estate" and that he council was "30 per cent to blame" for selling the land to Tesco.

Other points raised among the residents included:

The failure of Tesco to communicate properly with residents on issues concerning them.

A lack of privacy for residents around the store.

The use of plant machinery from early morning and on one occasion all through the night.

Parking in residential areas by staff and customers obstructing roads for the emergency services.

Environmental issues including noise, litter, possible methane gas leakages and sand floating in the atmosphere as a result of building work.

Maintenance work required to fencing, pathways and street lighting around the store.

A request for the store to open 15 minutes late, at 11.15am on Remembrance Sunday, November 9. And for vegetation at the the garden of remembrance to be maintained properly.

A request for assurances over time restrictions on the loading and unloading of vehicles at the store.

Tesco representative Pam Mellor promised to report back to residents on the points they had raised.

Residents also complained about alleged drug dealing around the site but admitted that Tesco was not responsible in this case.

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