Other options (From Malvern Gazette)
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12:20pm Friday 3rd February 2012 in Letters
IT seems to be a common argument in the Ledbury Supports Sainsbury’s (LESS) camp, as suggested by Colin Marschall (‘Support store’, Ledbury Reporter, January 20), that just because Ledbury’s High Street survived an onslaught from Tesco in Orchard Lane and Somerfield in New Street, it can survive the threat of Sainsbury’s off Leadon Way.
I believe there are two major differences in play here.
First of all, there’s location. As has been pointed out time and time again, Tesco and (now) Co-op, being situated at either end of the High Street act in a way that helps to maintain footfall through the town centre and therefore allow the shops to get the benefit of passing trade.
I also suspect that the construction of Tesco in its current location was beneficial to the town centre due to its proximity rather than being a significant threat (and similarly for Somerfield).
The proposed Sainsbury’s store, on the other hand, is the best part of a mile from the current town centre, will provide parking spaces, and will obviously reduce the number of “linked trips” that are being made.
Secondly there is the size. As far as I can see there has been no point in Ledbury’s recent history where anything so massively out of proportion to the need in Ledbury has been proposed.
Coupled with the location, a superstore that is three times the size of the current Tesco cannot, in my opinion, fail to have a negative impact on the town centre retailers.
As Roland Close, of H e r e f o r d s h i r e ’ s planning department said in his recommendation against the similar Tesco proposal, Sainsbury’s would become a destination in its own right; people will be attracted from out of town to the superstore while passing through or bypassing the town centre.
I urge anyone who cares about the future of Ledbury to object to this development. I believe that, in the long run, an option will be proposed that meets the needs of both the residents of Ledbury a and the traders; it is not necessary at this time simply to support the only proposal on the table.
JOHN MCCABE
Ledbury
Colin J Marschall says...
1:50pm Wed 8 Feb 12
If you would care to go back a little further you will see similar headlines concerning the Co-Op (or Somerfields as it was then), Homebase, The by-pass, Leadon Bank Nursing Home - which was only built after appeal and the hospital.
The alternative you refer to I assume is the re-development of the current Tesco's, I met with Mr Peakes today, very nice gentleman, and yes his plans do have a great deal of merit .. however there are still a number of concerns about the whole thing, concerns I note with interest are very much in the for front of LOTS objections to the Sainsbury's application, and have you actually stopped and thought that maybe Tesco's are entertaining this idea merely in the hope it would be turned down thus allowing them to re-apply for planning for their orginal new store, it would certainly give it more credence if they have gone through the idea of re-development of the current store only to have it turned down.