Town traders attack plans on supermarkets

Apr 4 2009 by Dave Black, The Journal

TRADERS in a Northumberland market town at the centre of a £32m shopping development attacked plans to build major new supermarkets.

Retail giants Sainsbury’s and Tesco both want to open large stores on the edge of Morpeth – where developers are currently building a flagship 26-unit, Edwardian-style shopping gallery at the former Sanderson Arcade in the town centre.

Now Morpeth chamber of trade has voiced fears that the supermarket plans could harm the success of the town centre scheme and seriously jeopardise the town’s unique character. Sainsbury’s recently staged a public exhibition of its £30m plans for a 300-job, 35,000sqft foodstore on farmland at Stobhill. Tesco has submitted a planning application to build a 200-job, eco-friendly 20,000sqft store on Morpeth’s Coopies Lane industrial estate – close to the site proposed by Sainsbury’s.

Morpeth chamber of trade says the two companies have not made clear how many jobs will be lost in the town centre as a result of their projects, or commented on the negative impact on existing businesses.

Yesterday chairman Stuart Lishman said: “We need only look at Berwick, Alnwick and Hexham to see how one planning success breeds many more, and also what the impact on their town centres has been when shed after shed appears next door to the original supermarket. Morpeth chamber of trade has a duty to encourage retail development in the town centre, and a long-standing policy of opposition to out-of-town retail developments such as those proposed by Tesco and Sainsbury.

“We believe that such schemes will seriously detract from the multi-million pound development presently being carried out with the Sanderson Arcade scheme. We firmly believe that the unique character of our town will be seriously jeopardised if retail giants, whose only motive is profit, are allowed to build their bleak warehouses on its outside edge.”

Last night Tesco corporate affairs manager, Doug Wilson, said its proposed Coopies Lane site was the best available for a new store. He said: “The overwhelming message has been that there is an urgent requirement for a new supermarket, providing greater choice for local people. More than 80% of people who attended our exhibition said they were in favour of our plans. In the meantime, shoppers will continue to leave Morpeth in their droves to travel to Kingston Park, Ashington, Cramlington and Alnwick. They tell us they want a new supermarket in Morpeth now.”

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