Telford councillors urged to reject Sainsbury’s expansion
Monday 12th September 2011, 5:31PM BST.
A planned store expansion by Sainsbury’s in Telford, which could create up to 80 full and part-time jobs, has been recommended for refusal by council officers.
The supermarket giant has applied to increase its floor space at Forge Retail Park by 61 per cent.
A decision was deferred at Telford & Wrekin Council plans board in June and Sainsbury’s bosses were asked to provide more information. But planning officers are still recommending the application be refused.
In a report to councillors ahead of a plans board meeting on Wednesday, officers said: “The planning authority considers there are more preferable locations in or around the town centre for such a development.
“We believe the proposed development will also have a detrimental impact on the vitality, attractiveness and viability of Telford Town Centre.”
Jane Piper, spokeswoman for Sainsbury’s, previously said the extension would allow the firm to offer dozens of jobs.
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maybe they ought to be in Shrewsbury and another supermarket as they say every little helps
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I am writing in reference to the planning application of Sainsburys Supermarket to increase its floor space by 61 per cent and the recommended for refusal by council officers.I am asking the question why the refusal and the reason why ? with the high rate of unemployment in Telford at the present time i do think council officers should be assisting employers in the area, also this increase in floor space does no mean more green fields underconcreate as we currently see all over Telford
Tim Griffin.
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80 jobs on offer and some council officer on over paid expenses says no what change of jobs in telford
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See other story “Shifnal butcher to close after 20 years in town” if you need a clue !
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What a weak excuse! location,vitality,attractiveness and viability to the Town Centre, the site is on the Forge retail park. When Tesco and Asda did the same thing, they made little or no change to the outer store, so whats the real reason? are we that enriched in Telford that the local council can afford to turn down employment opportunities for 80 people?
Marion Griffin
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“We believe the proposed development will also have a detrimental impact on the vitality, attractiveness and viability of Telford Town Centre.”
Which could translate to “We don’t want it to jeapodize the new Asda store that is being built on land sold by the council”
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I think you have hit the nail on the head there!
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You can be sure Hark Apollo, the ooperators of the Town Centre Retail Complex, will have lobbied the council officers very hard.
First they lose ASAD to a site off their territory and now Sainsbury’s wants to expand only half a mile away.
Wonder what sort of gun is being held to the heads of the planning officers?
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Asda buys council offices for development just over a mile away…
… Sainsburys gets planning refusal turned down
i am sure they are not related?!
p.s When Tesco turned the wrekin retail park from a ‘tesco’ to a ‘Tesco Extra’ they were allowed a substatial extension, and they promised to build an access road onto J6, M54… that still hasnt happened…
… it amazes me sometimes how planning authorities choose to refuse and allow applications… appears a little unbalanced to me!
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Its against national and local planning policy so it should be refused. Otherwise what is the point of having a planning system?
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The voice of reason, planning officers only make recommendation on the plans and polices set by councils on Cllrs on behalf of the public.
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“attractiveness [..] of Telford Town Centre”
HAHAHAHAHAHA who are they kidding?
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Its Pure Obstinance on the planning officers part!! they turn down a an extension to an existing development that will create jobs!!
where as tesco and asda already have a very overwhelming presence within the local area!
asda with 3 stores – tesco with 3 – (come on even aldi has three stores in telford and morrisons has two!-with one on the way!)and sainsburys simply want to add to their store! and they get refused! its laughable really! in tough economic climes the planning authority allow dozens of charity shops to overwhelm and strangle high streets aswell as dozens of indian restaurants within close proximity of each other!! its about time the planning department had a taste of their own medicine and lived on £50 a week looking for work! *little tip for sainsburys- send a nice ‘coffee’ donation to darby house and see what happens!!*
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working in Darby House it would be nice to get some decent coffee on site !!!
and i also completely agree that they should be granted planning permission – there seems to be buildings going up in some very randomn places lately and at least the retail park is the right place to extend – its not intruding on any more greenery !!
i dont think the council are in a position to be turning down someone who will be creating new jobs – they’re happy to be cutting staff from most of their departments !
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Hmmm, so planning officers object unless it is built in the paid-parking area. Wonder who’s behind that?
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This stinks to high heaven. There was enough “behind the scenes” nonsense between the last Labour administration and the Telford town centre owners, this smacks of the the same old, same old and we could do with a whistleblower or a lot more transparency, so that we might know the truth of the matter. It’s a no brainer that planning permission should be approved in this particular case.
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You will find that both Sainsburys proposals and T&WC’s planning objections date back several years to the previous Tory administration.
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Where was all this concern for the welfare of other shopping areas when Telford Shopping Centre was systematically destroying the town’s local centres with its expansion of the last 25 years?
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