This is an attempt to stifle debate on Tesco Express plan

The move has angered locals and shopkeepers, who argue the store would cause traffic chaos and be a threat to small businesses.

The store was previously a petrol station; a convenience store is unlikely to generate more traffic than a petrol station. It would be more constructive to argue that the City Council ought to insist that the developers address the awkward corner, perhaps by means of a mini-roundabout or a new pelican crossing. This is an ideal opportunity to get Tesco (rather than council tax payers) to pay for road improvements.

Small businesses should be subject to competition rather than protectionism, that’s what drives improvement.

If local residents were actually angered by or opposed to Tesco, the local traders would have nothing to worry about. A previous correspondent said: "From Brookhouse [sic] roundabout to South Road there are already five convenience stores, while the big Tesco supermarket at Infirmary Road is only five minutes away in the car, so I don't think we need any more.

And: "If people want to shop at Tesco, they can drive to a supermarket.”

A central plank of this argument seems to be that people can drive to the Infirmary Road store, this view discriminates against people who do not drive. Local shops within walking distance are a greener proposition than sending people to larger supermarkets. I imagine many people like myself will still buy fruit and veg from Beanies and still buy wine from the Dram Shop but would buy cornflakes and baked beans from Tesco. The new Tesco may actually mean an improved footfall which may help rather than hinder local traders. If I drove to a larger Tesco I would probably buy wine there too. The new store is likely to increase the amount of wine I buy from The Dram Shop. Retailers should rise to the challenge rather than waste their efforts on stifling change.

In lectures at the Management School I have often cited Beanies as an example of a local trader that has risen to the challenge of the supermarkets, by focussing on quality, offering extended opening hours, expert knowledge and an excellent locally tailored delivery service. A number of the convenience stores in the area are uninviting and offer poor service and poor value.

This campaign has been extremely single sided with the traders keen to promote their vested interests in the status quo and claiming to be speak for local residents. If local residents do not want Tesco then this will be expressed through market forces and Tesco will not survive.

I believe there is an attempt to stifle debate. On Tuesday at 7am, there were two flyers on the fence of the proposed site, one for Tesco, one against, by the time I came home at 6pm the pro-Tesco flyer had been removed. Is this censorship in the name of protectionism? I think so, and have lost some respect for my local community.

Kenneth Macdonald, The University of Sheffield Management School