Communities split over store plans
Last updated at 15:46, Tuesday, 13 January 2009
TOWN councillors have rejected controversial plans for a supermarket in Grange – unless North West firm Booths can allay their fears.
The members voted against the application at a packed meeting at the town’s Victoria Hall last night.
South Lakeland District Council will have the final say on whether the scheme should be approved.
Residents were out in force to voice their concerns over the proposal – which could see a new store built on the site of Bateman Toyota, in Main Street.
They claimed a supermarket would ruin the town’s individuality, charm and character, jeopardise vital tourism and force smaller shops to close.
Town councillors added their own criticism of Booths’ business plan to the discussion, stating figures intended to support a case for a supermarket in Grange were unreliable and incorrect.
Councillor Ron Shapland said: “There are a lot of mistakes and omissions in Booths’ application. Why don’t they tell the truth about the numbers? It’s because they know they haven’t got a strong enough case in planning terms.”
Councillor Mark Hadwin, who opposed an application by the firm eight years ago, added: “I didn’t see a need for it then and nothing has changed my mind now. I don’t think this would be good for Grange.”
While members of the council voted to turn the proposal down, they are set to indicate to Booths that they will reconsider if a number of issues can be “credibly addressed”.
These include more work to prevent flooding and damage to a culvert in Windermere Road and use of a South Lakeland District Council owned car park currently used by coach parties and visitors.
The meeting heard that Booths’ business plan stated the shop would require an annual turnover of £8.5m to make it a viable prospect.
Town resident Judith Shapland said: “This will only come from the other shops in Grange which will not stay open. It would have a devastating effect – we will end up with empty units at a time of economic uncertainty.”
Gill Wright, owner of gift shop Paragon, said: “Visitors bring much-needed income into the town, and pulling up outside a Booths store is not the welcome of unspoiled, individual businesses they expect. This application could sound a death knell for Grange.”
Meanwhile, Tesco has confirmed it will open in Ulverston’s former Woolworths store.
Woolies left the building on December 29 after the company went into administration.
Tesco will lease the Market Street building and open one of its Tesco Express convenience stores “as soon as possible”.
It will offer between 20 and 30 jobs for local people – potentially 13 more than Woolworths did.
But Tesco’s plan has divided the community. Many residents think the nationwide retailer does not fit the town’s traditional market town image. And some are concerned it will dominate trade and smaller independent traders will suffer.
Three groups were set up on social-networking website Facebook – one group opposed the move, while two rival groups, Yes to a Tesco Express in Ulverston and Maybe to a Tesco Express in Ulverston, were also set up.
First published at 11:54, Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Why should Grange not have a Booths Supermarket. Is it because it will stop them using the free bus to Ulverston? Using Booths is not compulsory so they can still shop out of town, as I suspect most of Grange does.
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