Council opposes new site for Safeway store (From Gazette & Herald)

Council opposes new site for Safeway store

A NEW supermarket on Pickering's old coal yard site would have a catastrophic effect on the town, says a town councillor.

Pickering Town Council voted against recommending approval of an application by Safeway to build a new supermarket on the town's old coalyard site. Before the meeting started, using his option to speak as a member of the public, Frank Carrington urged all councillors present to vote.

He warned: "Members were voted into office by the townspeople. There should be no abstentions for political furtherance." Councillors who did not vote would be judged at the ballot box, he said.

Of the 12 town councillors, seven voted not to recommend the application and one voted in favour of it. The remaining four councillors either did not vote for legal reasons or were not present.

Coun Gaynor de Barr who led the debate reminded everyone that any decision had to be made on planning grounds. It was not enough to simply say the supermarket was not wanted.

She said : "A store on the old coalyard site would have a catastrophic effect on smaller businesses. We are a market town and I will do my utmost to preserve that."

She was concerned about traffic congestion, the fact there was still to be a study on a possible rail link for Malton and Pickering, plus the effects a new site store would have on the viability of the town.

Coun Natalie Warriner was concerned about viability too. She said the application did not adhere to planning guidelines which laid down rules about where new stores could be and their distance from others. She said: "It hardly qualifies for 'edge of centre' and it is 13 minutes drive from another store." Coun Warriner was also concerned that the store would be built on a flood plain. Fair trading, she believed, was also an issue.

Coun Peter Gorrill said: "People come to spend time and spend money in Pickering. If changes like this are make it could be jeopardising the intangible mix."

He added: "We don't want the big giants to come in and tread all over us."

On the other hand, Coun Richard Rhodes thought there were many people who wanted a new store. "There is an argument that says we should provide all the facilities for all the people in this town."

Updated: 16:31 Friday, February 23, 2001