Go-ahead for new town supermarket

Jan 12 2008 by Graeme Whitfield, The Journal

THE results of a planning inquiry that could shape the future for shoppers and traders in a Northumberland town have been announced.

It means that Berwick will get a new supermarket, an existing supermarket will be extended by 50% and a new retail park will be built on the outskirts of the town.

Proposals for a further retail park and an appeal against another retail park were turned down.

The result of the inquiry means a new Tesco supermarket, along with a petrol station, will be built close to the Tweedside Trading Estate, on the A698.

The development had been opposed by a number of groups, who felt that the town did not need another supermarket and that the new store would have a detrimental effect on smaller independent traders in the town.

The planning inspector also granted the existing Morrisons store, at North Road, permission to expand its capacity and to demolish and replace the existing petrol station.

A retail park on land next to Morrisons will also now be built.

Alison Cowe, chairman of the Civic Society in the town, raised concerns over the extra supermarket and visual impact of the North Road retail park.

She said: “Tesco will be built on a greenfield site when there is a vacant contaminated industrial site opposite that Asda were planning to use.

“We are completely at a loss as to why Berwick Council and the inspector have decided to knock it back. It comes down to it being too expensive to decontaminate.”

John Robertson, chairman of Berwick Chamber of Trade who owns a clothing store in the town, said it was vital that the town turned the developments to its advantage.

He said: “We have got to be positive and cannot afford to be negative about it. It is going to happen and what’s important is how the town best prepares for it.”

A spokesman for Tesco said: “We are delighted to see that the inspector supports our position that a new store in Berwick would bring greater investment and more competition to the town.

“We now have to go and read the report in detail and think about our next steps.”