Northumberland traders look to neighbours

Apr 10 2009 by Dave Black, The Journal

WORRIED traders are using the experiences of their counterparts in a neighbouring market town as part of a protest campaign against plans for out-of-town supermarkets.

Businesses in Morpeth are strongly opposing rival bids by Tesco and Sainsbury’s to open major new stores on the outskirts of the town – claiming they will harm a flagship £32m town centre retail development, hit trade and jeopardise the town’s unique character.

Now they have carried out a survey in neighbouring Alnwick which they claim backs up their fears that out-of-town retail development has a harmful impact on traditional town centres and their shops.

Dozens of businesses in Alnwick were spoken to and asked to fill in questionnaires about the effects on the town centre since Sainsbury’s, Homebase and Argos stores opened on the outskirts a year ago.

The results found that 86% of those who responded felt the town centre had been affected, 71% said their own business had suffered and 68% said they had suffered a downturn in footfall or turnover.

About 75% were pessimistic about the future and some said many shoppers were now parking free at Sainsbury’s, and then leaving with their shopping without browsing in the town centre.

Yesterday Morpeth chamber of trade vice-chairman, John Beynon, said the results of the research would be used to oppose the Sainsbury’s and Tesco bids for stores at Stobhill when they came before council planners.

“Even the multiples in Alnwick, such as the Co-op, Boots and WH Smith, said they have suffered since the stores opened on the edge of the town. The results were what we expected and we hope this is concrete evidence which we can put before the planners to argue our case.

“Of the traders we spoke to directly, about 90% felt there had been a downturn. Tesco and Sainsbury’s try to say other towns have not been affected by new, out-of-town stores but this survey tells a different tale.”

Geoff Proudlock, who runs a furniture and houseware store in Alnwick town centre, said his takings had dropped by 20% immediately following the opening of the Sainsbury’s, Argos and Homebase stores.

“It is difficult to quantify the effects, because we are also suffering from an economic recession, but I have seen trade disappear from town centres for 40 years as a result of out-of-town developments. If you put three large retail sheds with free parking on the edge of a town you will get people shopping there and not visiting the town centre.

“I am not against competition but we need to see in-town retail development to keep people in town centres.”

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