|
The arguments we’ve heard...and how we answer
them
A
supermarket on the Cattle Market would bring
people into the town
Experience in other towns, including Market
Rasen, shows this is untrue. Yes, small
supermarkets within the centre of town may bring
shoppers in. However, the five acre Cattle
Market site could accommodate a giant
supermarket that aims to sell you everything
under one roof, leaving nothing left to be spent
at Louth’s unique retailers.
It is
also too far away from the centre. Be honest. If
you’d just done your weekly shop at an enormous
Tesco on the Cattle Market, how much energy are
you going to have to leave your frozen and
chilled food in the car, walk out of the car
park, cross Newmarket, walk down Aswell Street
and into town? You have to be quite determined,
and though some are, supermarkets know that most
are not. The real effect would be the reverse,
to suck shoppers out of the town.
The
town is short of supermarket space
Most
people in the town don’t agree. East Lindsey’s
flawed retail policy document, the Farrell Bass
Pritchard report (2006) claimed this, but the
facts don’t support it. FBP conducted only a
small telephone poll. A far larger survey,
conducted for the Louth Town Plan this year,
involved leafletting every one of the 5,400
households in Louth. More than 61% agreed that
shopping facilities in Louth “...are adequate to
purchase all your daily needs.” Less than half
wanted a new supermarket even in the centre.
Incidentally, 81% also said they wanted a cattle
market to stay on Newmarket.
I
don’t like the existing supermarkets
You may
be in luck. Louth is actually going to get a new
supermarket anyway. The Co-op has taken over
Somerfield nationally, and will not be allowed
to keep two stores in Louth. So one of those two
stores, probably the Somerfield, will be sold to
one of the big four (Tesco, Asda, Morrison or
Sainsbury). Wouldn’t it be better to wait to see
what is already coming to town fits the bill
before deciding we need yet another one?
There is
also a Marks & Spencer pencilled in for Queen
Street, and rumours of a planning application by
Sainsbury on Eve Street. Some of these may be
good for the town, others may not be. ELDC has a
duty to prefer those nearest the centre. We
insist that they should do exactly that.
I
can’t get to the shops during the day
Fitting
in shopping during a Saturday can be difficult
for working families. Keep Louth Special wants
to work with local shops and the market to offer
at least one extended evening a week to allow
those who want to use local retailers an
extended chance to do so. We are not just a
pressure group, but a resource.
It’s
a waste of time, you can’t stop ELDC
We can.
They’re already listening. But we need your
help, support and enthusiasm. We want you to
believe that your views are important...even if
you disagree with us.
|
