Fears for flagship new mall in town

Mar 28 2008 by Dave Black, The Journal

DEVELOPERS behind a flagship £32m retail scheme in Northumberland have voiced serious concerns over plans to open a 200-job superstore on the outskirts of the same town.

Dransfield Properties plan to create a 24-unit, Edwardian-style mall and other facilities in Morpeth town centre in a scheme aimed at transforming the town’s shopping facilities and boosting trade.

Now the Yorkshire-based company says it is alarmed at moves by retail chain Sainsbury’s to open a 35,000sqft supermarket, petrol station, customer restaurant and car park on green belt land at Stobhill, on the south-eastern edge of the town.

Sainsbury’s claims that a recent public consultation exercise in Morpeth resulted in 1,700 responses, of which 82% were in support of their proposals. They hope to submit a formal planning application in the summer.

Dransfield Properties fears the out-of-town venture would harm town-centre trade and hamper the success of its own project, which will be anchored by a Marks & Spencer store on two floors.

Other leading high-street names, including phone company O2 and coffee chain Starbucks, have signed up to take space in the new town centre, which aims to win back trade lost to Tyneside by revamping ageing Sanderson Arcade and Back Riggs. Yesterday Dransfield Properties managing director Mark Dransfield said: “We are very concerned to hear that an application may be made for a superstore on the edge of Morpeth. The Marks & Spencer foodstore will anchor the new town centre, and all other retailers will benefit from it being there.

“It is a necessity store, not one based on impulse purchases, and will draw people in. A big superstore on the edge of town will have a massive impact on the economy of the town if it is allowed to go ahead. I believe the local chamber of trade is also opposed to out-of-town retailing.

“We are waiting to find out what people’s attitude is to a possible Sainsbury’s store but Morpeth is one town in Northumberland that has not suffered from out-of-town development, and as a result has a vibrant town centre. If this is allowed to happen it could be the thin end of a wedge which would affect the town centre.

“It would be a foolish step which would have an impact on every single retailer in the town centre. As far as we are concerned, there are no planning policies whatsoever to support out-of-town retailing.”

Sainsbury’s, which recently opened a major new store on the outskirts of Alnwick, says it is pleased with the level of support for its Stobhill scheme. It will meet local councillors and traders in the next few weeks to discuss the plans and says the new store could be operating by the end of next year.

Regional development surveyor Paul Miller said: “With more than half of resonants indicating they travel away from Morpeth to do their main food shopping, there is clearly a great opportunity to help retain those shoppers and reduce the environmental impact of long car journeys.”