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Whittlesey: Concern at plans for supermarket
News from The Peterborough Evening Telegraph, www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk
A BUSINESS in Whittlesey has expressed concerns about plans to build two new supermarkets on the outskirts of the town.
The Co-operative Group believes the supermarkets would seriously damage the town’s existing retailers, drive shoppers away and threaten town centre investment.
Fenland District Council is considering two separate planning applications for new Tesco and Sainsbury’s stores on adjacent out-of-town sites on Eastrea Road.
The Co-operative Group has raised concerns with Fenland District Council, objecting to both supermarket proposals, saying it has serious concerns about the negative impact the developments would have.
Richard Waddington, regional operations manager for The Co-operative said: “If both applications are accepted, the cumulative annual turnover is likely to be around £56 million, a huge figure that would be at the expense of town centre stores.
“These stores, if given the go-ahead, would seriously threaten the future of our town centre store, which plays a key role generating footfall and underpinning Whittlesey’s other town centre shops.
“Shoppers will be less likely to visit the town centre at all if they can do their shopping at an out-of-town supermarket.
“There are too many examples of town centres that have suffered from out-of-centre developments already, and we don’t want to see Whittlesey become another one.”
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Wednesday 23 May 2012
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Comments
There are 8 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
rosewait
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 12:28 PMIts about time whittlesey had a bigger supermarket,i need to get shopping done all in one place and do not have the time to go to lots of different shops. i support the local butchers and bakery and would continue to do so.they should have let tesco have the site in high street then it would have been accessable to everyone. at the moment there isn`t the choice and if you want more variety you have to go out of town shop. whittlesey is getting left behind.
whittlesey witler
Sunday, February 5, 2012 at 11:50 AMI went to Morrisons and paid a pound for eight wraps. I went into the Co-Op and the same brand and packet was one pound and seventy five pence. Disgusting. I understand companies need to make a profit. This is not profit, this is a rip off. So when other food stores want to come to Whittlesey it is the fault of the greedy stores like the Co- Op.
PottyBoroPensioner
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 04:07 PMWhat a load of twaddle, good old moaning traders that dont want more prosspective trade passing, allways thought whittlesey was a bit slow and this proves it, surely any increase in foot traffic is good in todays economic climate isnt it ???
dref
Saturday, February 4, 2012 at 11:10 AMThis Co-op store in stead of moaning about competition needs to up its game as the majority of Whittlesey folk already shop elsewhere now. I have seen this shop on a Saturday with only one till open at 9:30 am with the manager just happily stocking the shelves with booze and a queue at the only checkout of about six customers with trolleys, and customers getting more and more frustrated with the poor service. Perhaps thewideangleco should remember that this will also bring in more jobs too.
purewhitesugar
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 10:46 PMChange and competition are a fact of live, adapt or die. Small independent shops are nice but they seem to be a feature of rich towns these days. People want convenience and choice. If a local business thinks they can offer that they are free to try, if a bigger company also wishes to offer convenience and choice. I don't see why they can't try as well.
me-in-whittlesey
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 10:22 PM@1 but most people in Whittlesey don't do their main shopping in Whittlesey anyway so a supermarket won't make any difference. Both won't get planning permission anyway. I'm just hoping that Sainsburys get it.
kwackers
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 04:52 PMThe problem is that the Co-op has the monopoly on those who are unable to shop elsewhere. The store is not big enough to cater to those with families and have insufficient product choice to offer suitable meal alternatives for a week let alone any longer. The Heron food shop is able to offer some competition but again you cannot do a complete food shop under one roof. I do my main food shop outside town but always use the local butcher and baker at the weekend to top up and of course with shops like the Factory Shop there will always be an incentive to head to the town centre.
thewideangleco
Friday, February 3, 2012 at 03:26 PMThese two stores will be an utter disaster for Whittlesey if they come, just as the Co-op says. Believe me, I've seen this in Dorset, where my dad's village lost all its independent shops one after another when Tesco moved in. The people of Whittlesey need to wake up to this. Their shops are having a tough enough time as it is.
Page 1 of 1
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