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Sainsbury's supermarket plan to be decided
3:32pm Wednesday 9th January 2008
Comments (23)A SUPERMARKET giant's controversial plans for a Westhoughton store go before councillors tomorrow.
Sainsbury's wants to build a 25,000sq ft store with parking for 240 cars on the site of Westhoughton Cricket Club, off Cricketer's Way.
Planning officers have been broadly supportive of the development, which they say "would revitalize and provide inward investment" for Westhoughton town centre.
They are also recommending councillors approve the cricket club's move to a purpose-built ground at The Hoskers as part of the plans.
However, Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears will have the final say on whether the supermarket development can go ahead. - checking this fact.
Objectors have registered concerns including increased traffic problems, loss of business for local shops, disturbance caused by lighting and over-saturation of supermarkets.
A total of 828 people have also signed petitions opposing the development, while the Town Council says there will be a net loss of recreational land and noise from three nine-metre wind turbines planned as part of the development.
Officers at Bolton Council's regeneration and economic development unit "raise concerns as to the potential impact of the new store on smaller traders within Westhoughton town centre but this is not of a sufficient scale to recommend refusal of the application", according to the planning report.
However, Sainsbury's claims the plans have the backing of the majority of residents.
The firm distributed a leaflet to households and businesses in and around the town to gauge their opinions and it says 86 per cent of the 2,700 respondents were in favour of the proposals.
Joanne Try, Regional Development Executive for Sainsbury's said: "The support indicated from our recent survey is tremendous and reinforces our confidence that we have chosen the right location for a brand new food store.
"We believe that these proposals provide an exciting opportunity to help recapture trade that is currently going to competing centres and facilities elsewhere."
The store says a retail survey showed 80 per cent of people in Westhoughton travelled to places such as Middlebrook, Atherton, Leigh, Hindley and Ince, to do their regular food shopping.
But Westhoughton South Cllr David Chadwick , who campaigns for the Save Westhoughton Act Now (SWAN) group which wants to limit development and protect recreational space in the area, questioned the validity of the survey.
"They leafleted in Atherton, Hindley and parts of Bolton so I would query whether it's a balanced assessment of what people in Westhoughton think," he said.
Your Say YourThe Bolton News
Bad Wolf, Bolton says...
4:30pm Wed 9 Jan 08
"THERE WOULD ACTUALLY BE A NET LOSS OF PROTECTED OPEN RECREATIONAL SPACE..."
THESE ARE THE COMMENTS OF THE PLANNING OFFICER...
THE APPLICATION HAS TO BE REFUSED ON THOSE GROUNDS.
Rocky, Bowton says...
4:39pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Just look at the positioning of some of the street furniture, signs, pedestrian crossings, right turn only lanes and excessive road markings and narrowing lanes.
They couldn't plan a P155 up in a brewery this lot.
Rocky, Bowton says...
4:42pm Wed 9 Jan 08
New sainsburys store to have 21 cycle lanes, 81 pedestrian crossings, 150 trolley parks and as the one in the town centre has got a specially placed petrol filling station that's perfectly positioned, when busy, to cause the maxmum amount of Jams so that no one can get in and out of the superstore.
An Amazing breadth of planning must have gone into that
cow-head, westhoughton says...
5:03pm Wed 9 Jan 08
I do realise that other people in Westhoughton are concerned that this project would increase traffic congestion,that the wind turbines would create additional noise and that some of the small shopkeepers in the town centre would lose business. However, the vast majotity of local people that I have spoken to are in favour of the supermarket.
Ed Stirling, Westhoughton says...
5:15pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Sainsburys are just not credible with this survey. There is no way there is an 80% support level for this project in Westhoughton. Then again Sainsburys, via their consultants have a track record of manipulating and falsifying consultations. (Dispatches C4 30July07; Britains Bad Housing).
The all-too-inept Highways Dept sees no problem - even though they objected to the much less significant housing scheme on the same site in 2004! This development will cause chaos not just on Cricketers Way but also Wigan Road, Park Road, Mill Street, Market Street, Church Street, Leigh Road. There will be 5 sets of light within 200m of each other. The traffic management system only controlling the one outside the new store.
The store on the fringes of the town will not enhance the town centre and will certainly result in closures, and job losses.
220 jobs at Sainsburys I simply dont believe the figure.
The win-win over sporting facilities is overstated there is no agreement with the Rugby Club re the Hoskers, which is recreational open land that is used day-in, day-out by locals, i.e., a loss of yet more green space in Westhoughton.
This, it seems will have a lot to do with money; what the council can gain (and waste elsewhere in Bolton); a developer on the make and big business about to make a killing on a piece of land. A future brownfield site?
And dont get me started on the token greenism that is those wind turbines.
Malcolm W Bristow, bolton says...
5:22pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Gloria, Bolton says...
5:27pm Wed 9 Jan 08
cow-head wrote:If you check your facts, westhoughton Council dont pass the planning permissions, they often advise rejection.....Bolton Council accept them and allow them
It's a bit late for "SWAN" now. Westhoughton Council should have thought about that before they allowed every pice of land to be used for building new houses.
I do realise that other people in Westhoughton are concerned that this project would increase traffic congestion,that the wind turbines would create additional noise and that some of the small shopkeepers in the town centre would lose business. However, the vast majotity of local people that I have spoken to are in favour of the supermarket.
cow-head, westhoughton says...
6:01pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Westhoughton needs a decent supermarket irrespective of the valid points raised by Ed Stirling.
Rocky, Bowton says...
6:15pm Wed 9 Jan 08
Gloria wrote:Off topic that isn't what is being discussed.
cow-head wrote:If you check your facts, westhoughton Council dont pass the planning permissions, they often advise rejection.....Bolton Council accept them and allow them
It's a bit late for "SWAN" now. Westhoughton Council should have thought about that before they allowed every pice of land to be used for building new houses.
I do realise that other people in Westhoughton are concerned that this project would increase traffic congestion,that the wind turbines would create additional noise and that some of the small shopkeepers in the town centre would lose business. However, the vast majotity of local people that I have spoken to are in favour of the supermarket.
the-duke, westhoughton says...
11:13pm Wed 9 Jan 08
whitehowfan, Howfan says...
11:41pm Wed 9 Jan 08
the-duke wrote:Ey lad don't knock old historic cow yed city.
Bring it on. This will encourage other supermarkets to revitalise our sad town.
the hangman, end of the noose says...
8:57am Thu 10 Jan 08
Maverickpils, Westhoughton says...
10:51am Thu 10 Jan 08
Baz, Westhoughton says...
10:57am Thu 10 Jan 08
BTW Sainsbury's is hardly a cheap store. People will still go to Tesco and Asda.
Maybe another supermarket is needed, but not there - on recreational land. If this gets the go ahead, what's next? The playing fields next to the Tyldesleys?
We'll need a by-pass to replace the existing by-pass (Cricketers Way).
It's a bit sad if people's lives revolve around shopping; and a town's success is judged by the number of supermarkets it has.
Maverickpils, Westhoughton says...
11:11am Thu 10 Jan 08
Baz, Westhoughton says...
11:31am Thu 10 Jan 08
However, Local Government Secretary Hazel Blears will have the final say on whether the supermarket development can go ahead. - checking this fact.
If this does go to the Govt to decide... people should be aware that Sainsbury's have close connections to New Labour. Lord Sainsbury gave a £2.5m donation in 2003; they are also known to sponsor events at Labour party conferences.
So don't expect any transparency from the Govt on this.
cow-head, westhoughton says...
11:45am Thu 10 Jan 08
All I am saying is that there should also be a compensating increase in the shopping facilities here.
Many people cannot travel to Middlebrook, Leigh or Bolton to get to a Supermarket.
Ed Stirling, Westhoughton says...
12:06pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Very short-sighted, totally lacking in any notion of a 'plan' for the town.
I'm afraid though, as regards the Sainbury's scheme, two wrongs don't make a right.
David, Westhoughton says...
4:49pm Thu 10 Jan 08
first thing this backward thinking council need to do is look at and improve the road infrastructure. Then look at the possibility of building a better shopping area for the ever growing westhoughton population...as at the moment its a JOKE. If I leave home before 9:15 to get to work it can take me an average of 15 mins just to get out the side street I live on.then depending on which numpty is blocking traffic another 15/20 mins to get to the M61.... no wonder I have to work till 6 and 7pm now.
BETTER ROADS NOT A SUPERSTORE/HOUSES THATS WHAT WESTHOUGHTON NEEDS BUT ISN'T GOING TO GET.
Ed Stirling, Westhoughton says...
5:12pm Thu 10 Jan 08
Supported by Cllr Wilkinson. At least he's consistent he supported the housing scheme last time round.
Apparently the scheme won't cause traffic problems and won't be detrimental to trade in the Town Centre.
Dear, oh dear!
Notably no-one from the Cricket Club was there arguing for the scheme. Speaks volumes really.
twinkle toes, westhoughton says...
9:21pm Tue 22 Jan 08
RationalThinker, Westhoughton says...
4:09pm Tue 5 Feb 08
The Sainsbury's has just been approved!
Supported by Cllr Wilkinson.
Of course it was approved and David Wilkinson would have been the loudest supporter of it, as he usually is for any Developer, big or small.
He has a nasty habit of ignoring the recommendations of the planners, the views of the public and the obvious issues that often accompany a planning application.
In fact, having seen him at work (sic!) he is a councillor first and foremost in order to stroke his ego. Look for the number of complaints that have been made about the guy. His incompetence and borderline 'dodgy' activities have been reported before...
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soup, Bolton says...
4:12pm Wed 9 Jan 08