Shrewsbury plans to get more out of major supermarkets
Sunday 13th February 2011, 6:00PM GMT.
Councillors in Shrewsbury have vowed to do more to secure more cash from planning applications for major supermarkets to “plough” back into the town.
Vernon Bushell, Shropshire councillor for Harlescott, said his colleagues needed to do what they could to get more benefits for the community from retail giants expanding their stores in the town.
It comes after members of Shropshire Council’s central planning committee deferred an application to expand the Sainsbury’s store on the Meole Brace Retail Park.
Store bosses must now renegotiate the terms of a planning agreement with traders’ groups such as Shop in the Loop before the plans are considered again.
Before Christmas Tesco was given permission to expand its floor space at its Tesco Extra store in Harlescott despite complaints from town centre traders and councillors.
Councillor Bushell said: “In the debate at the committee meeting Sainsbury’s was making a 106 reference to buses and it was prepared to pay £15,000 for five years.
“But councillors were stressing a general feeling that they could do better than that.
“I believe with the bigger planning applications there should be a commitment. We cannot resurrect the Tesco application and go back on what has been agreed.
“But I think with these big applications we need to do what we can to plough money back into the town.”
Christian Wakelin, development executive for Sainsbury’s, today said they remained confident they would get permission for the plans.
He said: “The application has been deferred in order for some additional legal details to be finalised and we are working closely with the council to find a solution that is suitable to both parties. We remain confident that the extension plans will provide a wide range of benefits to our customers and we look forward to a decision.”
By Sam Pinnington
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