Councillors back fight against supermarket growth
Thursday 6th January 2011, 11:45AM GMT.
Councillors have joined forces with Shrewsbury residents to fight multi-million pound expansion plans by Sainsbury’s – amid fears it could sound a death knell for the town centre.
Members of Shrewsbury Town Council’s planning committee have agreed to support a letter by Shrewsbury Town Centre Residents’ Association, which claims plans at the Meole Brace store, which may create up to 70 jobs, will take trade away from town centre shops.
It comes after plans for a new Tesco store in Tenbury Wells which divided residents were thrown out by planning bosses last night.
And today Asda guaranteed to sell groceries at least 10 per cent cheaper than all its major competitors as it battles to win shoppers struggling with VAT and soaring household bills.
Helen Ball, clerk of Shrewsbury Town Council, today said the damage caused by the Sainsbury’s scheme would be heightened because of Shropshire Council’s recent controversial decision to grant Tesco’s retrospective planning permission to increase the amount of space it uses for non grocery goods at its Extra store in Shrewsbury.
Mrs Ball said: “The applicants say it’s only an insignificant impact on the town centre but when do these various insignificant increases add up to present a significant impact?”
Applause and whistles from the crowd of more than 80 at the Malvern Hills District Council development control meeting in Tenbury Wells, greeted last night’s decision to throw out plans for a Tesco in Tenbury Wells.
The shop, which would have had a sales area of 1,453sqm, was planned at the former cattle market site.
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Too little too late from a hypocritical council who oppose every single local initiative from the towns current traders. They’ve got what they deserve – a dying “CLONE” town with very little to offer and independent traders going out of business in droves.
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“Helen Ball, clerk of Shrewsbury Town Council, today said the damage caused by the Sainsbury’s scheme would be heightened because of Shropshire Council’s recent controversial decision to grant Tesco’s retrospective planning permission”
She could also have added that last week’s decision by our wonderful Shropshire Council to increase parking charges by up to 33% in the two main town centre car parks is the final death knell.
Shrewsbury centre is off my shopping list for that reason alone and I applaud the likes of Tesco, Sainsbury, Asda for providing somewhere to shop that doesn’t have a £3 or £4 overhead just for being there.
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I see both sides of the story.
People needs these bigger shops these days; I for one cant afford to go into town and use all the independent shops on a regular basis – as much as I would like to. It’s just not possible. I buy my clothes and electronics usually from supermarkets because of their cheaper costs.
I love the independent stores in town (and Tom, if you look around there is quite a few still open and more opening recently – the Parade have loads of new vintage/handcraft shops – Wysteria Lane, Vinegar Hill, Voila Vintage, Little Shop of Joy etc). However, I can only afford these at special times such as Birthdays, Christmas.
Good for the people that can afford this and I do try to support them when getting nice gifts. However, its NOT affordable to do this weekly anymore.
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Totally agree with Shrewsbury Lass … I love Shrewsbury town centre and I love having a mooch around the shops there, but I can only afford to buy as an occasional treat. I need the bigger stores because of the value, a lack of bigger stores wouldn’t mean customers had any more money to spend in town, it would just mean the money they had got wouldn’t stretch so far and very quickly resentment against parking charges and high prices would grow even more than it already has … the average consumer already thinks we live in Rip-off Britain! Imagine the enormous consumer backlash there would be if there wasn’t these cheaper options … I’m sure that would be no less unpleasant for the independent traders on the receiving end!
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I thought the same as Tom – the council bent over backwards to accomodate the big supermarkets (especially the Tesco retrospective planning fiasco) and the town centre is suffering as a result. Every increase in advantage they get, however small it appears, further widens the gap.
In my view putting up car parking charges, while hard to stomach and making the town centre even less attractive, is not the real issue. I think the council’s attitude towards small traders in the town centre is at least as big a problem.
I haven’t paid to park in town for a number of years – we either use the Park & Ride, cycle in or combine a visit to my in-laws in Belle Vue with walking into town for various items.
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Look at the Walmartising of America, it has made the small town high streets into ghost towns. The supermarkets start offering more and more besides food! In America Walmart has all this plus, auto parts and repair, tyres, hardware, garden centre, chemist, toys and bicycles plus more all under one roof. Do you want everyone put out of business? Think very carefully before giving these supermarkets more stores and more floor space.
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Can you tell me where in the town centre I can do a weekly grocery shop ?
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Can you tell me where in the town centre I can do a weekly grocery shop?
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Somerfield, or is it Coop now, also Waitrose is coming!
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What ever happens at that Meole Brace shopping centre, please please sort out the entrance and arrangement of the parking lots. It causes traffic jams on the road and within the centre. Couldn’t there be two entrances or a seperate exit?
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