All,
And finally, the most recent letter from SHA!C. Please feel free to leave a comment!
Philip
Dear Councillors,
SHA!C’s secretary has written to you to outline the planning arguments against the ASL development and why from a planning perspective you should not support the application, but can I also ask you to consider this letter which represents the views of our group and many of the residents of our town.
Planning Application reference 12/000403/OUT – Land North of Campden Road
Shipston’s Heart Alive! Campaign represents a broad cross-section of interested local parties who value the town in which we live.
We were rather shocked and surprised at the insinuations put forward by Pegasus planning to the last Town Council meeting, in support of the Ainscough Strategic Land (ASL) proposals for a major housing and supermarket development on the Campden Road. It seems they are trying to guide councillors towards views that neither they nor the Council have any influence over.
We are similarly concerned about the small but vocal minority of residents who have formed a support group for the ASL proposals and we are worried that an element of this group do not fully understand the issues and implications of the proposed development. We’re concerned that unfortunately they have been influenced by the PR muscle that ASL have engaged to ‘distort the facts’ and attempt to misguide residents about their apparent overwhelming interest in the ‘wellbeing of our town’. A good example of this is the figure of £1.7m, which Pegasus said the council should look to ‘ring fence for the town’. You will be fully aware that a) apportioning this money is totally outside the control of either ALS or the Town Council, we can not ring fence it; and b) the likelihood of such sums being spent on Shipston is as likely as the District Council allocating vast swathes of the Shottery new-homes bonus for improvements to Shipston. It is not going to happen.
Specifically, we would like to bring the following points to the attention of our Councillors:
1. Lack of local Support
There is no evidence to suggest a general and genuine level of support in the town for the application, although there is a small but vocal minority backed by the developer and intent on promoting undeliverable large-scale opportunities from the proposed scheme.
2. Section 106 money
Pegasus deliberately tried to muddy the water between S106 and new-homes bonus money. The £1.7m that they referred to was their calculation of potential new-homes bonus. This cannot be ring fenced by the council and it is extremely unlikely that Shipston will see any of it.
3. Impact on Town Viability / Tesco Profits
We have a viable and vibrant town centre that most Shipston residents are proud of. It has been made clear through a number of independent studies that should such a supermarket be allowed there would be a significant impact on the existing trade within the town centre, leading to closures and job losses of unacceptable proportions and an irrevocable demise of our historic core. Assertions that a supermarket would ‘claw back’ some of the trade lost to other surrounding towns are inaccurate. A large proportion of main shopping already takes place outside the town and this would continue to be the case, due to convenience (the majority of Shipston’s residents commute outside the town and do their main shop in the big towns anyway) and range – such a proposed store will not offer the range of shopping residents have in the larger towns. The risk to existing trade in the town and subsequent job losses has been clearly identified as a major concern by our traders and by local business support organisations. The argument of a ‘Tesco’ bringing lost income back into the town is clearly wrong, just ask yourselves where that income will go – not into the hands of anyone in the town, unless they have shares in Tesco!
4. Visual Impact
We live in the country. The reason that most Shipston residents live in Shipston is that they like our town. It is a working market town, surrounded by beautiful countryside. The visual impact of developing a greenfield site will severely impact on the town and its setting within the natural valley in which it has always been settled. Don’t let these developers spoil our beautiful town!
5. Flooding
We all remember the tremendous impact the 2007 floods had on the town. Many of our residents can recall the torrents of water running down Campden Road. Imagine what this will be like if all the additional run-off from acres and acres of new development is included.
6. The Southam Example
The idea that this development will aid and support the town centre is laughable. Talk of £500,000 ‘bribes’ to help mitigate the impact of the scheme a) clearly demonstrate that there will be a huge impact on the town centre and b) show the level of profits that the supermarkets expect, if they can fund that kind of support. In reality, even such a seemingly large sum would not go very far – Tesco’s strategy is to eliminate any competition, for example, so they will ensure that any support is limited to their purposes. How long before the supermarket decides they have a captive audience and puts up prices to the levels at Stow – it’s the way they do business and why they are so profitable. In Southam, despite the alleged £500,000 support the town centre is dead on a Saturday afternoon, and the impact on the existing traders and vitality of their town is such that it has prompted one of their ex-Town Councillors to state ‘I supported the decision for a supermarket, but having seen what effect it has had on the town, I now severely regret that decision’.
7. Cumulative Impact
As councillors you all know that local government rules are there to be broken. Once a precedent is set, how long do you think it will take for the local planners to decide that infill and associated developments are not only acceptable, in keeping and complementary, but in fact could help towards meeting additional district-wide housing targets?
8. Extra Care Homes
There is no dispute that care for the elderly is of increasing importance, but what has not been considered or determined is how much support does Shipston need? ASL’s development could go a long way towards Warwickshire County Council’s objective of providing 500 Extra Care homes throughout the county, but what does Shipston need and how could this be better served from a much more practical location? Unless we want to build an isolated old people’s village up a hill away from the town centre, then the distance and climb of this location in relation to the town centre is not sensible.
9. Impact on infrastructure / roads
As with all such development proposals, the impact on our existing infrastructure will continue to increase. Whatever the S106 requirement imposed on the developers, it will not provide sufficient school places, medical facilities or drains to cope with the increased burdens from the new developments, let alone alleviate some of the existing issues we have. Take the B4035/A429 Portobello junction as an example. The new development will add to the danger of this junction, yet ASL are not offering any support. It will be down to us as local taxpayers to sort it out long after they have returned up North!
The issues that this proposed development will create are immense. We have but touched on a few here. We urge the council to maintain their stance against this speculative development application by a property developer who by their very nature are only interested in the profits they can make from our town. We urge the Council to identify properly our requirements for our town and take charge of our own destiny.
Yours sincerely
Shipston’s Heart Alive! Campaign
Dear Mr Vial,
In reponse to the letter written by SHACS please may I post a few comments. These are my own personnal view
I will number it how the have done.
1. I don’t believe that SHACS campaign is as stong as they believe reason being having spoken to a few members and expained our view they agreed that the coops prices and the coops are to small to meet the general neew of the towns. I can hear them saying ” Go shop on a largeer town e.g banbury or stratford” this would be visable but what if people can’t drive. ”Get the bus” a bus with loads of shopping and no where to sit (this includes the free tescos bus during school holidays) ”Internet shopping” again great idea if they have a computer or even know how to use one . Just because the people who are for the supermarket are not as vocal as SHAC believe me we are still hear and will be making our voices heard. The people for the supermarket far out weigh the people against it and it will only be a matter of time until one is built as with the housing the council are saying that needs be built in our area the local shops could not cope with demand.
2. s106 having had this is explained to me every new estate / shop/ building that is built the developer are asked for a donation to the area that this building is built in. In regards to this I know there has been talks on going that the money will go on local ammenties like parks, schools etc and this in the long run will have a positive effect on the town. This money will not go outside the town as it is earmarked for schemes withing the town which will give the fund pot a big boost.
3. A viable town where?? In recent months numberous shops have closed down as there is not enough trade coming to the town to make it finacially viable peopleare travelling to Banbury, Moreton, Stratford to name a few to do there big shops. The prices of the coops are steep, people mainly do ther fresh meat shopping in a big town know as there is more competition so the prices are lower. The only places in town which seem to be viable are the coop. A large proportion of Shipston do there main shop outside shipston because THERE IS NOT A BIG SUPERMARKET WHCIH GIVES VALUE FOR MONEY. Every person I have spoken to has said they will still use the smaller shops in the week for smaller items and there will stillbe those who prefer to do there main shop in the coops so how will it affect the town?? I believe it will make the area seem more attractive to outsde companies to use the empty shops such a toffee apples, the old picture frame shop, the curtain shop etc.
4. Visual impact yes there will be one but not as drastic as they are making out yes you may loose a direct sight route fromon village to another but if trees etc wer put around the edge the supermarket in a few years will become hidden by these. It wont be any worse than the norgren site that has been stood empty since 2007 so nearly five years doing nothing and will more than likely not be used for industrial of that size again as it is to expensive to rent and it is cheaper for companys go across the seas to china, india etc as labour cheaper.
5. The flooding of 2007 was mainly due to the sewers and river being blocked by stuff eg fallen leaves etc. Also the fields were that wet due to previous rain which had no where to go because the ground was saturated. With the supermarket more drainage will be in place and such as they have done at the side of waitrose there is a small ditch to the right hand side just in front of the parent bays whcih they are using for water be collected in and then wildlife can use it.
6. Each location is different so wha happens one place may not happen another.
7. If a supermarket was built this may make the empty spaces up tilemans and in town seem more viable to rent out as it will help people realise how easily accesable shipston is.
8. Care homes etc the older generation of shipston if they are lucky if they ever need help there is rainbow fields, low furlong, old stour court, horse fair. For the unlucky ones this will mean having to possibly going to a area they know noone and in turn meaning they are isolated as they also will not no the local area and what is on offer to them.
9. The road issues will not be hard to sort out as they will be able to possibly out traffic lights / roundabout in. In my view something needs to be done with the top of the Campden road regardless as it is a major accident waiting to happen.
Now on to my own points.
10. Shipston is becoming to expensive to live in as there is not value for money the other day while in coop I picked up a pack of 3 washing up sponges 95p I went to cookies and got 10 for a pound so for 5p more I more than tripled the amount of sponges I got. A supermarket will bring in competition in regards to price without a supermarket people will end up having to look at moving away as they would not be able to afford to live here.
11. The supermarket and proposed care homes will bring in lots of jobs and if honest unless you drive you are pretty limited as to the jobs you can do. Again the norgren is never likely toopen up (if it ever doe which I expect not) as big as it was so we need to create jobs in other areas for people to look into.
12. A supermarket and carehomes will not affect the schools it will however affect dentists (one next to chemist always advertising for new people) and medical centre which they are already looking at moving to help meet demand already so could this not be incorrpurated into the scheme and have two doctors surgerys in shipston?
At the moment shipston is struggling and if we do not try this then how will we know if it could of helped or not. Yes it maybe case of we told you so but the way the recesion is going at the minuite more people will loose there jobs and they need somewhere to go.
People in wheel chairs/ double buggys etc find it almost impossible to get in coop as the aisles are to small and there are supports blocking the ailses in places. When a trolly is in the way they have to wait til whoever is using the trolley moves it and then usually there is people getting impatient behind as the aisle is then not only blocked by trolley it is also blocked by pushchair/wheelchair.The butchers, bychance, newsagents, as well as numberous other shops are not easily accessable for wheelchair or mothers to access due to stairs up or in shops. So we do really need to start moving with the times as s village with a country with a ageing population it needs to be changed before its to late.
This is my own personnal views and I believe quite a few people will agree with these
Kat
Posted by kat | August 16, 2012, 9:28 amKat,
Thanks for this detailed reply. And please call me Philip.
Philip
Posted by Philip Vial | August 16, 2012, 10:33 pmPhilip,
Kat speaks for many hundreds of local people – she has delivered a powerful point by point demolition of SHA!C’s condescending email. Does anyone seriously suggest that Kat and people who agree with her are following a developer’s agenda? The supermarket campaign started long BEFORE the ASL application and is based on a simple principle – affordable shopping and petrol for local people including those who have no choice. As Kat rightly says people will continue to shop in the town centre as before but they will no longer have to make a 25 mile trip to get to a supermarket or rely on buses.
It is a great shame that a minority on the Town Council used a procedural device last Monday to prevent a fresh vote on the planning application despite an excellent presentation by Pegasus (on behalf of ASL) and Warwickshire County Council at the last Town Council meeting. Indeed the proposer of the procedural motion had not even attended the presentation! If he had done so he would have heard that 130 extra care homes exactly meets Shipston’s needs. It is the only viable site and will not be on a hill. It will also bring with it extra NHS money for GP services and funding for the Shipston Link which is facing cuts by Warwickshire CC.
We are left with an absurd situation where the Town Council has called a public meeting on the proposal – date to be confirmed – but regardless of the views expressed the Town Council, presumably Cllr Rathkey, will go along to present the Town Council’s opposition at the Planning Committee. If he does so he will not be representing the views of the people of the Town. Democracy and “localism” is ill served by such behaviour.
Yours sincerely,
Jeff Kenner
Shipston Labour Party
jeff4shipston@hotmail.co.uk
Posted by Jeff Kenner | August 16, 2012, 3:54 pmJeff,
A couple of points for accuracy only
No-one proposed a procedural motion. The Town Clerk simply pointed out before the meeting that the Standing Orders for Shipston Town Council require 8 Councillors to propose a motion reversing Town Council policy within 6 months of it being set. Yes, I can understand why it’s frustrating to people who don’t like Town Coumcil policy, there are bits I didn’t vote for, but those are the rules.
The other thing is that the Town Council isn’t having a public meeting on the ASL proposal, it’s having a public meeting on the Neighbourhood Plan, which will (no doubt) include discussion on a supermarket – but also lots more, as you know.
Philip
Posted by Philip Vial | August 16, 2012, 7:34 pmPlease let us have a Supermarket, the current situation of having TWO Co-ops is clearly silly. Let me give you a quick story from last week. On Thursday i took my heavily disabled nan shopping….. to Banbury, luckily I have a car so I can get her mobility scooter into it OK, now I have to do this as Shipston town centre is a joke for disabled people making it totally impossible to shop in Shipston, even if we could afford to, but anyway I digress. Did the shopping and came home, my wife got back from work and we decided to do our weekly shop, you guessed it, out of Shipston, we went to Stratford, did our shopping and went home, but oh no we forget the baby milk powder, bugger, its OK I’ll pop down Shipston town centre, you guessed it, I ended up going to Stratford as I couldn’t get the age groups milk powder in Shipston. Baby milk powder…. so I had to make THREE out of town shops because Shipston town centre is not fit for purpose anymore, it is a joke a town this size has this old antiquated shopping centre that doesn’t come close to meeting demand. May I ask all the anti supermarket people where they do there main weekly shop? I am willing to bet very few do it in Shipston!
Posted by Matthew O'Connell | January 17, 2013, 1:29 amWould also like to add all the antis like to bang on about the added people and how the school can’t cope etc, may I point out that this town will have to have a lot of new houses regardless, surely it is better to take a deal which is on the table now and real than keep saying no to everything until a new development is forced upon us that will likely end up much worse than ASL, times are changing and like it or not Shipston will be dragged forwards kicking and screaming wether it likes it or not.
Posted by Matthew O'Connell | January 17, 2013, 1:34 am