Linlithgow Civic Trust and West Lothian History and Amenity Society
JOINT RESPONSE TO PLANNING CONSULTATION
Proposal: Erection of 888 sq metre supermarket extension at Sainsbury’s, Falkirk Road
Planning Application Number - 0250/FUL/09 Wendy McCorriston
Applicant Sainsbury’s Supermarkets Ltd
Observations
It is noted that the application is for the extension of the ground floor sales area to take up most of the non-sales floorspace (which will be relocated to an upper level), plus an extended car park at the rear and an improvement to the junction at the supermarket entrance on Falkirk Road.
We objected to a previous application for an extension to this supermarket in January 2008. Our observations on that application included the following:-
“The increase in retail floorspace … is presumably intended to increase the range of goods sold and is therefore likely to adversely affect trading in, and the continued existence of, High Street shops. This could tip the balance of profitability of existing town centre businesses and lead to further shop closures to the detriment of the appearance of the Outstanding Conservation Area.”
The current (2009) extension proposal relates to a floorspace increase over four times that associated with the previous application for extension, and thus may be considered potentially four times as damaging to the economic and physical well-being of the town centre. In addition, it is noted that the applicant intends to sell ‘comparison items’ in the additional floorspace – ie going beyond traditional supermarket products to the kind of non-food items such as electrical and clothing, again adversely affecting town centre shops. We consequently consider it to be unacceptable.
With regard to the rather unnecessarily lengthy Planning Supporting Statement, it should be noted that neither Linlithgow Civic Trust nor WLHAS have been consulted by the applicants, not that such a consultation would have made any difference to our concerns. Furthermore, the consultation was NOT publicised in the local newspaper, but in one which primarily circulates in the Bathgate/Livingston area – presumably this was to avoid objections from local groups and businesses!
The Supporting Statement makes the usual reference to ‘jobs created’ (are these claims ever checked?), but omits to mention jobs consequently lost elsewhere, such as in the town centre.
Finally, it is assumed that the proposal is similar to the previous one with regard to the treatment of the east elevation – the previous plans in this respect were considered not to enhance the existing and were thought to have compromised the original design (which was quite good for a supermarket).
Conclusions
The Civic Trust and the WLHAS wish to formally object to this proposal on the grounds stated above, primarily those relating to the economic and physical impacts on the Linlithgow town centre which is included within an Outstanding Conservation Area.
Ronald P A Smith BSc MRTPI
Planning Spokesman, Linlithgow Civic Trust
4 Rivaldsgreen Crescent, Linlithgow, EH49 6BB.
Tel: 01506 670758; Email - planning@lct.org.uk
Date 11 May 2009
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