South Molton supermarket battle
THE RACE to build a new supermarket in South Molton has moved up a gear with the news that another major chain is eyeing up the town.
Sainsbury's which has just taken over the old Somerfield store in New Road, has announced that it is keen to build a bigger supermarket on the central cattle market-car park site.
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Sainsburys
That increases the competition for Tesco and Morrisons which have already registered an interest in the area.
North Devon Council's executive is due to discuss the regeneration and development of the central area on Tuesday but it will be in the confidential part of the meeting.
Tony Cook, managing director of Storegap Commercial Ltd, Sainsbury's property consultants for the South West, said he hoped their interest would be reported at the meeting.
They are still going ahead with their plans for the old Somerfield store which will be re-fitted and re-opened as Sainsbury's later this year.
But Mr Cook said that in the longer term they would be interested in building a larger more modern store on the central development area.
He added: "We have expressed an interest both to North Devon Council and South Molton Town Council."
He pointed out that the Somerfield store was not the best of buildings and nearing the end of its economic life.
But Sainsbury's was limited over what they could do with the site as it was surrounded by residential development.
Tesco seem to be the front runner in the supermarket race as they already own the old Norrington yard site at the western side of the cattle market-car park area, which is North Devon Council's preferred location for a new food store.
But it has been fiercely opposed by the local RATS group (Residents Against Tesco Supermarket) and many others in the town.
Spokesman Diana Amory pointed out: "There have been various polls and at least two thirds of the town are against Tesco."
She hopes as many people as possible will attend the executive meeting, even though any decision will be taken behind closed doors.
She said: "We just want to get as many people there as possible to make the councillors aware of the strength of feeling and make them realise they should be doing something more than just holding it in private.
"This is something that affects so many people yet they are not even allowed to hear what the councillors are saying.
She added that local people were "really angry" about the fact that none of the councillors involved in the meeting lived in South Molton."
Steve Pitcher, executive director for the council, said: "Members will have enough information in front of them (at the executive) to enable them to make a decision on the future of the central area including appropriate food store partners.
"There are now three names in the frame. Nothing is ruled in or ruled out at this stage."
5 Comments
by Tom, Barnstaple
Wednesday, August 12 2009, 8:28PM
“The word 'major' when referring to a supermarket chain needs some context. Tesco's profits in 2008 were 2000 times that of Sainsburys' (and of of course even more than Morrisons). Including Brian Ford's and the new store in Bideford that's not built yet, this would be Tesco's sixth store in North Devon, whereas Sainsburys and Morrisons only have one each.
In the interest of fairness and given these facts, I believe Tesco should be ruled out completely.”
by Peter Webb, South Molton
Sunday, August 02 2009, 5:54PM
“What right has the council of selling off any part of the car park as it was donated to the people on South Molton for parking not redevelopment”
by David Thomas, Oakford
Thursday, July 30 2009, 10:16PM
“Tesco's have a long track record of ignoring local planning restrictions & building larger stores than their planning permission allows: any fine is trivial compared to the extra profits they'll get by building the bigger store. Once they have a toe-hold, Tesco are ruthless in eliminating any local competition, whether small or large businesses, and screw low appallingly prices out of their suppliers. Every little hurts! Keep Tesco out of South Molton.”
by S Bishop, South Molton
Monday, July 27 2009, 7:08PM
“What is the matter with our politicians? We elect them, believing that they will act as 'the voice of the people' yet what notice do they take of public opinion? Just look at the % of those who rank Tesco's last of the three choices on the Internet vote. Take note of the work of the local college whose students stood in the Pannier Market getting the views of the South Molton public. Fewer than a third wanted Tescos. Many, myself included, didn't want any large store that could potentially deprive many small businesses of their livelihood. Most people we spoke to in the Pannier Market were adament in their dislike of the bullying, bribing tactics of Tesco's. What, do the politicians think, RATS (Residents Against Tesco Supermarket) was all about? It was about many, many local residents not wanting Tesco to ruin our small market town - which they certainly would if allowed to build, and yes, expand- as they always seem to do once they've got their foot in the door. It may be just food today, but for how long will they be content with not being able to sell the range of goods which could cripple our town's small businesses.
So, if we've got to have a large store in town, please let it not be Tesco's whose motto seems to be,"Today South Molton (or other small English town) tomorrow the world". I say a very strong "NO TO TESCO'S" in South Molton.”
by KEJ WEBSTER, Devon
Sunday, July 12 2009, 5:32PM
“They want it in private for a reason, so they can discuss which bribe is most appealing and thus which to accept on that basis. Otherwise, why is there a need for it to be held in private? They just don't want to admit and have uproar that they chose x company beacause x company offered £5K more than B company. $$$$”