Locals urged to back Sainsbury’s superstore
Sainsbury's Desbourough Harborough Road
A supermarket chain has issued a call to arms to a town’s residents, urging them to come and support their plan for a superstore.
The retail giant’s proposal for a Sainsbury’s superstore at Desborough’s Magnetic Park is recommended to be rejected at a Kettering Council planning committee meeting next Wednesday.
Also debated at the same meeting will be an application for a Tesco supermarket on the Lawrence Factory site in Desborough, which officers suggest should be approved.
Now Sainbury’s have taken out a full page advertisement in today’s Evening Telegraph, urging residents to turn up in force to the meeting next week.
The supermarket chain’s regional development executive, Robert Oxley, said: “The committee members need to understand the strength of feeling out there, so I would urge all those who want to see a foodstore at Magnetic Park to show their support at the meeting next Wednesday.
“Our proposals offer an unmissable opportunity to help secure the long-term future of Desborough.
“If localism is to mean anything local people should have their say and deserve to see investment in their town as soon as possible.
“Tesco’s scheme cannot currently be delivered due the Co-op’s existing restrictive covenant, which prevents significant retail development on the Lawrence Factory site. Removing it could involve a long legal process and compensation to the Co-op – costs for which the council has not yet assessed.”
A parish poll in October 2010 in Desborough found that four out of five voters wanted a supermarket at Magnetic Park, which is where Sainsbury’s has applied.
Paula Holmes, secretary of Desborough Community Development Trust, said: “The poll showed the general feeling of the residents.
“I can’t get my mind round the logic that is being applied.
“The Sainsbury’s application will start immediately, will provide us with a filling station, and will stop lorries coming through the town.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Kettering
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 2 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
rsitch
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 05:07 PMI will be attending on Wednesday to try to understand the rationale of KBC. From my understanding there is nothing of merit in the Tesco application in comparison to the Sainsburys proposal. The only opposition I can imagine for the latter, is from the residents living opposite Magnetic Park, (which is understandable). The unbridled support of KBC for the Tesco project exceeds the logical, and leaves me at loss as to why they are hell bent on supporting it. I hope that Wednesday will provide the answers, and re-establish my faith in democracy. Until then, I hope that KBC will listen to the residents of Desborough.
mrbrown2
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 11:51 AMThe Sainsbury's advert says that if more people attend the meeting it could sway the planning officials' decision. But their mind is already made up. They will back the council owned site. Obviously that is a vested interest and an impartial decision cannot be made - unacceptable in a modern democratic society. A planning consultant friend of mine seems confident that Sainsbury's will lose and will successfully appeal and the decision will be referred to the home secretary, who will make the final decision in favour of Sainsbury's. It would be tragic if Tesco's is finally approved as the town will lose Sainsbury's and if the cost and process of lifting the Co-Op covenant proves prohibative, Tesco could walk away as well, leaving the town with nothing. The covenant lifting process could take years and the bill will be born by the tax-payer - even if there is no Tesco built as a result.The council would be better off if it sold the site to a developer to be used for its originally intended and planned for purpose.
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.