New supermarket plans for Portishead
By Portishead-People | Thursday, November 12, 2009, 07:00
A patch of scrubland in Portishead could soon house a huge Sainsbury's supermarket – only 250m away from two other supermarkets.
The retail giant has submitted early details of its proposals to build a 50,000 square foot supermarket to North Somerset Council.
If approved, the new store would be built between the Gordano Gate Business Park and Homebase on Serbert Way.
It would form a triangle of supermarkets with the nearby Waitrose on Harbour Road and Co-op on Wyndham Way.
The proposals have sparked a mixed reaction in Portishead.
Greg Corrigan, of Portishead Chamber of Commerce, said while his organisation welcomed investment in the town, it would be concerned land designated for employment use could be lost to retail.
He said: "The site is currently designated for business units and attracting more small and medium sized businesses to Portishead is the chamber's preferred means of growth."
He added the proposed supermarket was some distance from the High Street and could have a negative effect on some High Street stores.
Sainsbury's has sent draft plans to North Somerset to see if it needs to prepare an environmental impact assessment before formally seeking planning permission.
The store would have a total sales area of 30,000 square feet and 357 car parking spaces. It is understood the store could open by the end of 2010,
In its submission, Sainsbury's said: "The site is partially brownfield in nature and is currently designated as a safeguarded employment area.
"The site is under the sole ownership of Sainsbury's.
"The foodstore is proposed to be accessed by customer traffic from Serbert Way, while service access will be gained from Serbert Close."
Portishead Town Council chairman David Pasley said the supermarket had opened informal talks with the town council about its plans.
He said: "When Waitrose opened it provided a great boost to Portishead and I think this would create a similar benefit."
North Somerset Council leader Nigel Ashton said: "It would create employment in the town and bring welcome private sector investment."
The company announced yesterday that half-year profits were up more than 30 per cent to £342 million.
A number of national chain retailers have recently opened in Portishead as it defies the recession.
Pets at Home, New Look, Peacocks and Dreams have opened stores on the former Quitmann furniture factory site on Old Mill Road.
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Comments
I am in favour of a new Lidl, which would save us the drive to Clevedon, although I support both Co-op for its community friendly attitude, and also shop at Waitrose for luxuries. Would prefer to have a Marks & Spencer so I could buy shoes (never found any that fit in the local shop), good quality clothes for work without going to Cribbs Causeway (New Look and Peacocks aimed more at teenagers), wider range of gifts for birthdays and Christmas, more choice of men's clothes for my beloved ... the list is endless.
By Frank_o_File at 14:04 on 03/07/10
ReportTotally agree with PheadDweller regarding the Co-op. Why are they so concerned about competition if they are so good? Believe they tried the same stunt many years ago (before Waitrose), when Tesco were interested in opening a store. Their product range is poor, car park inadequate, and their policy of coined trolleys is very customer unfriendly. My wife and I avoid the place and both look forward to having a Sainsbury's in town - then there will be two quality supermarkets in town. Competition is good for consumers
By berbician at 22:25 on 01/07/10
ReportPheaddweller - I, like you, would like a Sainsburys. I put Coop in a similar category as Budgens and Iceland. However, you are mistaken if you think there will be a new petrol station. Sainsburys said they will look at the possibility but this does not sound like much of a cast iron commitment.
By MajorAl at 17:17 on 15/06/10
ReportI, for one, welcome Sainsburys. We don't really have a cheap large supermarket in Portishead. Waitrose is nice but far too expensive for the majority to do their weekly shop in. Co-op, since they had a refit, seem to now think they are an upmarket store and increadibly, charge more than Waitrose do for quite a lot of their product range!! Co-op also has a very poor range of products for sale. Why do they sell that pitiful range of electrical items that I have never seen anyone buy? Surely it would be better for those shelves to be filled with a wider selection of foodstuffs? Their carpark is woefully inadequate too. Sainsburys would force Co-op to decide what supermaket it is, cheap or upmarket and we would have healthy competition which can only be good for our pockets. Sainsburys will also bring a much needed 2nd petrol station, Waitrose's station is frankly a joke and the fact that you can only exit it in one direction means that it's located in the wrong place especially considering the constant chaos at Cabstand.
By PheadDweller at 23:50 on 14/06/10
ReportI have been in Portishead from 2001,during this period i have seen the huge changes ...Not sure for the better .
I chose Portishead because of its village enviroment ..which is slowly but steadly becoming a part of history.I am no longer sure where this headig ..is it a village or is it turning in to a city ? Are we competing with Bristol ?
Are we going the Dubai way ...property boom and then............................ .Does any one have any idea where we are heading?
There dosen't seem to be any real plan other than big chains coming in and killing what used to be wonderful high street...
Looks like the tourist industry will have to find a different village to go to as we definately are heading to an overpopulated squashed town where no green spaces exist and is full of chains ..no individual shops .
I do wonder it the prices on properties would be the same in ten years and weather Portishead will be as desireable ....
Will another supermarket boost the economy ha especially as majority staff are on minimum wage ...hmmm questionable ..
I do wonder where we are heading especially as i am on the verge of moving away from a may be town ..may be village .
Good luck
By ruhieduffin at 17:47 on 02/12/09
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