Below is a download link to a document entitled 'Conwy Deposit Local Development Plan, 2007 - 2022 (Revised edition 2011). Please download the document for reference.
CCBC Development Plan Document
The following article is from Mike Skerrett, a member of the Llanrwst Campaign Group.
'The important section for Llanrwst are pages 21 to 24, in the document the consultants Scott Wilson identify the fact that Llanrwst as a town is currently under trading. This means, in laymans terms, that each existing square metre of trading area is not taking enough money as it's only an estimated amount of £1257 per sq. m, this is shown in Scenario 1 for Convenience Goods (section 3.5.12).
If you look at Scenario 2 (section 3.5.13) where they use the figures for optimal trading density i.e. £4000 per sq.m it clearly states that there is no need for any additional Convenience Goods floorspace during the plan period, that is up to 2020.
In fact if the expenditure forecast for Llanrwst of £2,075,906
actually occurs in 2020 and the existing retailers achieved optimal
trading density of £4,000 per sq.m then the town would only need 519
sq.m.
The consultants report in section 3.5.14
recommends that the Planning Authority should implement Scenario 2 and
not allocate any further retail sites within the Local Development Plan.
If
you look at the next section which covers Comparison Goods the picture
is similar, the town currently trades at £573 per sq.m, if you look at
Scenario 2 (3.5.16) it shows that if Llanrwst traded at only £2,000 per
sq. m it would only need 1,523 sq. m of space even up to 2020.
The
consultants in section (3.5.17) specifically states that floorspace
should be constrained in order to increase the vitality and viability of
the centre.
I am sure that none of the councillors involved in the decision to
invite Tesco's to take over Llanrwst have even read this document, let
alone understood it. It's been produced at great expense by CCBC to
provide accuracy in planning needs. Not, "Let's have a Tesco's so we
get a Waste Tip",
that's the worst BOGOF deal I've ever seen.
To
put things in perspective and in units that we all understand, the
current total trading are in Llanrwst for Convenience Goods,
i.e.groceries, is around 16,000 sq. ft. - the proposed Tesco's is 28,000
sq. ft. - almost twice the size of the existing retail area.. That's
like building 28 shops the size of mine in one place !
Convenience
goods are things we buy often like groceries and the like, Comparison
Goods are things we buy less often such as cars, electrical goods etc.
The
link below will take you to Scott Wilson's website there not a small
concern as you will see, if you also read the intoduction to the report
and the methodology it explains what they did.
We had the same scenario in Ruthin - an application for some 2500 sq mtrs which most people of a certain age, assumed to be a smallish store. Whilst being built, they applied for permission to double the size (some 48000 sq ft) in a town of 5000 residents. The council refused but it went to appeal and this was allowed by John Prescott. Fortunately, the recession came and nothing has happened, However the little industrial estate behind was bought, all the lessees were given notice and the site has remained empty ever since.
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is fight this as hard as you can, it will kill the town. Holiday makers come to Wales for plenty of good reasons - certainly not to shop at Tesco. Remember 'Every Little Hurts'