Wirral community celebrates as Sainsbury store plan is rejected




A WIRRAL community is celebrating after a national supermarket chain had its planning proposals for a new store rejected.

Council officers refused an application from Sainsbury's to build a convenience store in Pensby Road, Heswall.

They said the development at the former Lookers showroom site would be "detrimental to highway and pedestrian safety."

Campaigners against the plans for a Sainsbury's Local store were thrilled with the decision.

Local residents feared the arrival of the retail giant would bring traffic problems and added congestion to the already busy road.

Alison Adlard, who led a petition with signatures from 146 households, said: "We are all extremely pleased that planning permission was refused because that area would be even worse if there was a store built there.

"It makes absolute sense to tell them 'no'.

"There are schoolchildren crossing on a regular basis and school buses pulling out; add a few delivery vehicles to that and cars turning in to the car park and you would have chaos."

Now, Mrs Adlard hopes the site will be put to good use rather than becoming derelict.

She said: "It would make a great site for a block of flats or a retirement home. Our main worry now is that it will remain empty and attract trouble."

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said a decision had not yet been made about what steps will be taken next.

He said: "We are disappointed that the council refused our application to redevelop the former Lookers car showroom on Pensby Road in Heswall as we believe that the area would benefit from a Sainsbury’s Local.

"We are currently considering our options and will continue to work closely with the council going forward."



THE GLOBE

About time some of these supermarket plans got tossed out - they seem to be taking over the whole Wirral at the moment

yeah but because S was thrown out it doesn't mean Tesco will be. Watch this space.

They've got a big Tesco just up the road though...

mind you I said the same thing when the small tesco was proposed for Claughton Village

The superemarkets are like boxers, watching each other like hawks and swooping and swapping and back stabbing. I know its a cut throat business but what I would like to be able to figure out is how they manage to get round some council planners, a hell of a lot the schemes always seem to have a fishy background.

Never wondered why the planning permission big wigs have clubcards with 'free goods for life - Every little helps' on them?

Wouldn't be surprised. Was at a planning committee meeting and watched the body language and signals between a developer and the planner on the top table when his planning was being discussed, disgusted. That and the absolute lies when my objection came up for my little problem, in the developers favour of course, who just happened to be a council employee, who had just been having tea and biccies with the councillors in the refreshment room. I could go on.....but it still hacks me off 3 years afterwards.

I agree Bandy, they are all in each others pockets and bollox to the people!!! Just look at Moreton...Tesco express by Millhouse lane, big store at bidston and slap in the middle they are pulling down The Plough Inn and building a tesco there!! Also the old 3 Counties car showroom is going to be an Aldi or Lidl all within a mile of each other!!!!

Remember the phone masts the planning permissions went against a few years ago,but were built anyway due to the council not letting the phone company know in the allotted time span I think of 6 weeks,I presume this time people in the areas these planning proposals come up in and are thrown out make sure the council is up to sending out letters to the companies who's planning permissions have failed,just a thought.

I just wonder how many more supermarkets wirral can take theres going to be more of them than people can use but im glad asda is comming back to birkenhead really missed it when they went

U mean disrupt everyones parking at the busiest time of year and chop up half of birkenhead for a supermarket!! Not my idea of progress!

perhaps the town planners / town hall bigwigs live in Heswall , and not Moreton......

I'm not even sure that it's the councillors who are the problem, once these things go through it is up to the council admin staff to get on with their bit and send out the notifications as needed and cross the t's and dot the i's to make sure everything goes as it should. If they don't then their bosses are at fault and shouldn't be in the positions they're in. It was the admin people I was particularly watching. They're quite faceless in the community at large whereas most people know councillors by sight and can report back if they are seen getting inducements. It gives the totally wrong impression they way they go about their business and it should be more transparent.

They get paid to do a job,if they can't be bothered then sack them,we appear to have the rest of the world wanting to do British jobs,including our own unemployed.