Sainsbury's plan for Portishead put on hold

 

 

 

A DECISION on whether to allow a Sainsbury's supermarket to open in Portishead has been deferred - to allow further information to be gathered on the possible impact of the store on the town centre.

Councillors put on hold making a decision on whether the retail giant can open a new 30,000sq ft store at Serbert Way because of fears it could affect the future vitality and viability of other stores in the town.

North Somerset Council appointed consultants earlier this year to carry out an independent evaluation of the retail assessment put forward by Sainsbury's as part its planning application.

The move came after bosses at rival supermarket The Co-operative Group said they would mount a legal challenge against the authority if it gave the go ahead for the new store, based on information contained in the assessment.

Consultants have now raised questions about some of the figures put forward in the retail study and have asked for them to be clarified by Sainsbury's before a decision can be made.

In its application, Sainsbury's said it expected 25 per cent of customers to come to Portishead from outside the local area to use the new supermarket.

Sainsbury's chiefs also said the new store would stop people driving out of town to shop as well as attract customers from other towns and villages in the local area.

Councillors backed the consultants' recommendation, saying they were concerned that if figures were not accurate, the new store could eventually draw trade from the town centre.

A decision on whether the new store can go ahead will now be discussed at a meeting on August 5.

The consultants report has now been sent to other major supermarkets in the town which have 21 days to respond to the findings.

Portishead councillor David Pasley, who is chairman of the north area committee deciding the application, said: "There is a lot of support for a new Sainsbury's store in Portishead.

"However we need to be 100 per cent clear of the facts and have clarity on the figures which have been put forward in the retail assessment.

"There is some debate on how the figures contained in Sainsbury's application have been arrived at.

"We will make our decision based on what is best for the people of Portishead and the future vitality of the town as a whole."

The new Sainsbury's store would create 270 full and part-time jobs.

It would feature an in-store bakery, a customer restaurant and a 338-space shopper car park.

There will also be a cycle store, a recycling centre and a number of fresh food counters.

Store bosses are also looking for a site to build a second petrol station in the town and are considering calls to open a post office facility within the new supermarket.

Portishead is now the second biggest town in North Somerset as a result of large housing developments at the marina and in the eastern part of the town.

Its current population is around 22,000 but this is expected to soar to 30,000 when all the developments are complete.

A number of new businesses including Peacocks, New Look and Pets at Home have set up businesses in Portishead.

A plethora of bars, cafes and restaurants have also opened in the town to cater for the growing population.

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said: "We have been asked for some more information to support our retail assessment which we are happy to provide.

"This is currently being drafted and will be with the council shortly."