Star’s front row seat for sporting history
- Local newspaper week
Council opposing store plans
Thursday 14th January 2010, 6:00PM GMT.
A Shropshire town council is opposing plans for a new low cost supermarket.
Newport Town councillors fear the addition of a retail space at Mere Park Garden Centre – believed to be earmarked for German discount giants Lidl – could have a detrimental impact on Newport High Street.
“I am totally opposed to this,” said Councillor Adrian Meredith at a town council meeting last night.
“Newport town centre is where we need new shops or supermarkets, if anywhere at all.
“We are here to represent our residents and businesses.
“It doesn’t matter whether it’s a low cost supermarket or a sweet shop, we don’t want, or need, shops moving away from the High Street.
“Market Drayton has 17 empty shops. Is this what we want for Newport?”
Mere Park Garden Centre, off the A41 Stafford Road, is growing at a rapid rate. Work on a £5 million, 50-bed Premier Inn hotel and a Beefeater restaurant is due to start shortly.
Newport Town Councillor Phil Norton said the retail park could no longer be considered to be just a garden centre.
But Councillor Tim Nelson said: “Mere Park is unlikely to go away as a development.
“Perhaps we need to consider how we can see Mere Park as an asset rather than just a threat.”
The application will now go before Telford & Wrekin planning committee with Newport Town Council’s concerns.
Sponsored Links
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
LIVE traffic updates
Road, rail and airport - latest
Our new, live traffic and travel updates service - check before you set out.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
good on them, lidl only build cheap cattle sheds and the food is all fatty and cheap, i would support an expansion of waitrose or other nice shops and more local shops but not this type of horrid modern construction
Report abuse
they are right to oppose this dont let newport be ruined like dawley was and wellington is becoming, we must keep the old buildings the small shops and keep like shropshire not like the west midlands
Report abuse
I can understand the need for another store. Waitrose is a great supermarket with excellent products and good ethics, but pricey and I wouldn’t be surprised if many Newport residents drive over to Telford for their groceries. But Lidl? Hmm…
Report abuse
Why do people want to kill off the town centre, along with this objection, you also have a group in hereford trying to stop out of town development, plus Oswestry is trying to stop the development off another supermarket.
When will these people listen!!!!!! Save the local traders, how many people reverted back to using them when they could not get to the out of town supermarkets because of the weather!!!!! Maybe next time they will not be there .
Report abuse
I see the point of the argument against the mere park location but where exactly could you fit another supermarket along Newport High Street?
Report abuse
I moved to Newport recently, I love the town with its local shops, I agree totally that this lidl should not be approved, god forbid the town ends up like Market Drayton!
Report abuse