I am not going to voice an opinion on the two proposed supermarket applications for Whittlesey prior to the meeting which are set to be decided by Fenland District Council's planning committee next week, not least because I am still undecided and am still asking questions and providing some challenge. But it is really, really important that Whittlesey people have their say. Please read this Cambs Times article and then send your views to the Planning Department at Fenland District Council - you can of course still send me your views - I just won't be able to comment in return.
However, I will publish the reasons for any decision I make. I recognise the importance of this to Whittlesey, and I think it is only right that I explain my thinking.
Martin represents Whittlesey at Cambridgeshire County Council, a Fenland District Council and sits on Whittlesey Town Council.
Considering the number of empty premises in the town I was amazed the application on the site of the firestation was rejected as it was close enough to the rest of the shops to have attracted people to cross the road. This would have left opportunity for a second out of town supermarket too. Shoppers often have allegiance to a particular supermarket so to have more than one would attract more shoppers to town. With the price of fuel at the moment the advantage of a national supermarket on the doorstep must be evident. Just get the smaller one nearer to the town centre. Simplez
ReplyDeleteWhy not allow vote for the people of Whittlesey, you could have 4 boxes, 1-Tesco, 2-Sainsbury, 3-don't care, 4-don't want a supermarket. Whatever comes out on top, FDC must apply. Let the people of Whittlesey make the choice, not FDC employees who no doubt don't live here.
ReplyDeleteLee,
ReplyDeleteIt is an interesting suggestion, and I thank you for making it because it does allow me to expand a little on how planning works. Planning is a quasi-legal system that involves members of the committee weighing up evidence from numerous different areas and then voting on that evidence. Comments from members of the public are only part of the evidence that has to be taken on board, there is a whole history of local and National plans, and lots of legal precedent that has to be considered. In this instance,the more people that express a view the greater weight can be applied - and that is why I am encouraging Whittlesey people to write in. If we simply held a referendum, and made a decision on that we would just be taken to court by one or both of the developers and a decision would be made there. That would not be great for two reasons 1. We would inevitably lose costs because our behaviour would be deemed as unreasonable by the courts and 2. It would mean a decision taken that is even more distant from the Town and is potentially more likely to be less relevant to it.
One difficult part of this particular application is that it comes at a time when loads of National laws that Govern both how councillors can and can't behave and how planning works have just been introduced, so there are areas where there is no case law - this increases the likelihood of a legal challenge to the decision next week.
This is not to say that your views are not considered, they are and those views often influence the planning committee - but they are only part of a much wider system.
Morning Mr Curtis I should like to point out a few facts that need to be taken in account firstly the Whittlesy super market planning aplication has been running four and a half years, While a decision is not reach no industrial development can proceed on the Station road site this is costing at least 150 new jobs to whittlesey no question about that. The Aaron road Ind Estate will bring at least 50 new jobs to the town by christmas construction on a 11,000Sq ft, unit for a major PLC will start shortly [in for planning] this is on land to the back of the Tesco optioned site . Put very simply the glacial pace of the planning process is costing this town jobs and will continue to do so until some one makes a decision . C.P.Golborne.
ReplyDeletedo you have an answere to the last blog sent 17 of may .I would have thought job creation was a topic worth a reply. ! cpg
ReplyDeleteYep - sorry. I automatically and wrongly assumed that this comment was on my latest post. Has taken me ages to realise why the comment was not showing there. Anyway - the response is in the comments for this post:
ReplyDeletehttp://whittleseynorth.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/supermarket-planning-decision-or-rather.html#comments
I wish people of Whittlesey would stop throwing thier toys out the pram and move with the times, we really need a supermarket of this nature especially for the those of us who do not drive or even own a car. Go to March at any time of the day and it is always bustling, surely this has some indication as to what bringing Highstreet Stores to Towns can achieve. I personally think it will attract visitors to the town rather than detract. Take a walk around Whittlesey after 1pm and it is like a ghost town and the weekends are even worse, why? Because these people who object to the supermarkets in Whittlesey are walking around these very supermarkets elsewhere, and it's these people who are barking on about the Towns downturn. I think thats a little two faced!
ReplyDeleteYour comments are well made. To be honest, the views I am getting back from the survey I am carrying out in my County Council division do not show a lack of desire for a supermarket. The comments are almost entirely about which application is best, with very few people saying that we do not need one at all.
ReplyDelete