Protest over Sainsbury's plans for store on Eastleigh's last 'green lung'

6:30pm Tuesday 21st February 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Bethan Phillips, Reporter

An artist’s impression of the proposed new Sainsbury’s. An artist’s impression of the proposed new Sainsbury’s.

CAMPAIGNERS have appealed to developers not to encroach on the “last green lung” in the centre of Eastleigh.

Sainsbury’s is planning to bulldoze its 30-year-old store in Upper Market Street and replace it with a multi-million-pound redevelopment.

The ambitious scheme could create 230 full-time jobs – along with a new town square, more than 500 extra parking spaces and a state-of-the- art bus station.

But concerns have now been raised that the project would also build on more than 500 sq m (0.13 acres) of Leigh Road Recreation Ground.

The park, which contains the town’s bandstand and war memorial, has reduced in size over the years with extensions to The Point and a hard standing area alongside the current Sainsbury’s store most recently built on the green area.

Councillor Godfrey Olson, who is on Eastleigh Borough Council and leads the opposition Conservative group, said: “I’m pleased to see that Sainsbury’s want to stay in the town and want to enhance and enlarge their store. What I’m concerned about is the recreation ground coming under attack.

“It is a little green lung in the centre of Eastleigh, in a heavily developed area.”

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Pete Luffman, chairman of Eastleigh Labour Party, is also calling for the park to be left alone by developers.

He said: “Once it’s concreted over, it will never get put back to parkland.”

Under the plans, the current children’s play area would also be moved and extended.

Sainsbury’s says building on the recreation ground would be necessary to the overall scheme.

Regional development executive Max Whitehand said: “Our proposed new store needs to be large enough to attract and retain shoppers within Eastleigh town centre and to deliver the wider regenerative benefits of the scheme.

“In order to provide a safe and efficient service yard for a store of this size, we need to use a small part of the north-east corner of Leigh Road Recreation Ground.

“Sainsbury’s fully understands the sensitivity of encroaching onto the recreation ground and hopes that its proposals are accepted as representing very special circumstances.”

Landowners Eastleigh Borough Council will consider the proposals once an application is submitted.

A spokesperson said: “The council could consider leasing a small part of Leigh Road Recreation Ground to Sainsbury's for the expansion of their Eastleigh town centre store (subject to an application receiving planning permission).

“In making a decision the council would consider whether or not the proposal was likely to be beneficial for the town's economy, physical regeneration and residents.”

If a planning application gets the go-ahead, the 43-week construction programme could begin next year.

Comments(11)

ohec says...
5:39pm Wed 22 Feb 12

Well you know what they say you can please some of the people some of the time but you can't please all of the people all of the time, i think its a fantastic scheme it will certainly be a big boost to Eastleigh and the tiny 500 sq m of land is a small price to pay for the improvements they are planning including to the park and its facilities if you are not already aware look here http://sainsburys-ea
stleigh.co.uk/
In the current economic climate i think it is a tribute to Eastleigh that Sainsbury's have shown their commitment to the town and even though many of the jobs will be part time they are still jobs.

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GregETNet says...
10:44am Thu 23 Feb 12

Unfortunately I don't agree with you - when this kind of thing happens, does anyone ever think about the local, independent businesses?
See Gannaways in Portswood having to close down because of pressure from the Sainsburys?
What about the local independent shops, where local people with local skills will be forced out of a job, because a global money making supermarket wants more money and their excuse is it creates more jobs...

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ohec says...
2:59pm Thu 23 Feb 12

GregETNet wrote:
Unfortunately I don't agree with you - when this kind of thing happens, does anyone ever think about the local, independent businesses?
See Gannaways in Portswood having to close down because of pressure from the Sainsburys?
What about the local independent shops, where local people with local skills will be forced out of a job, because a global money making supermarket wants more money and their excuse is it creates more jobs...
If any local shop can't compete then they are of no use, the High St as we know it is finished i agree its a shame but its also a fact of life, people no longer have the time to wander from butcher to baker and so on.People want one stop shopping with the car in easy reach. Things evolve those out of town sheds like Comet are now complaining that they can't compete with online traders, they helped to kill the high street and now its their turn to bite the dust.

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GregETNet says...
4:46pm Thu 23 Feb 12

It sounds as if you're just giving into huge global shops ruling our towns and cities. Have you no faith? This is why it is important we come together as a community to voice our decisions. To voice the fact that these local independent shops will suffer - it's shown elsewhere that they suffer. We can't allow big businesses like this try and dominate us.
People still appreciate the local butchers and bakers - take Bitterne Triange in Southampton for example - they are still going, and people still use them!
We must transition to a more local economy and support these more independent businesses, otherwise I dread to think of the future.

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ohec says...
11:31am Fri 24 Feb 12

The biggest two factors that todays shoppers are concerned with are cost and time, so the independents are ruled out in both cases because they can't compete on price or convenience. I will miss the high street the same way i missed the baker coming with his horse and cart and being sent out to pick up what the horse had gifted for the rhubarb and the same for the milkman but times change, i am not saying for the better but the majority rule.My mother never worked so she had time to wander up and down the high street the modern mother often holds down a full time job as well as looking after the house and cooking (i use the term cooking in the loosest possible sense as most food is processed) and a lot of todays mums would not know what to ask for in a butchers let alone how to cook it.Business rates lack of parking competition everything is stacked up against the independents they can hold on for so long but there comes a time when people have to ask themselves if they can afford to pay that little bit extra even if the quality is better.

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ohec says...
11:31am Fri 24 Feb 12

The biggest two factors that todays shoppers are concerned with are cost and time, so the independents are ruled out in both cases because they can't compete on price or convenience. I will miss the high street the same way i missed the baker coming with his horse and cart and being sent out to pick up what the horse had gifted for the rhubarb and the same for the milkman but times change, i am not saying for the better but the majority rule.My mother never worked so she had time to wander up and down the high street the modern mother often holds down a full time job as well as looking after the house and cooking (i use the term cooking in the loosest possible sense as most food is processed) and a lot of todays mums would not know what to ask for in a butchers let alone how to cook it.Business rates lack of parking competition everything is stacked up against the independents they can hold on for so long but there comes a time when people have to ask themselves if they can afford to pay that little bit extra even if the quality is better.

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GregETNet says...
3:53pm Fri 24 Feb 12

It's not right that convenience should be the reason why we just 'give in' to these large corporations taking over.
People survived in the past going to individual shops - they have their own unique atmosphere. Everyone who has been in (for example) a local greengrocers know how great it is rather than walking through a huge supermarket.
We must do what ever we can to keep supporting the local businesses - it's there that the community thrives best. Having been in lots of independent businesses myself, I love them and I will continue to support them, because the global money making fat cats don't deserve my money.

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ohec says...
1:48pm Sat 25 Feb 12

Oh dear you seem to be stuck in some sort of time warp, in many respect i would say life was better 50/60 years ago the country wasn't flooded with immigrants life was a lot slower people had time for each other and on the whole life was much more pleasant. But this is 2012 and things have changed and no matter how hard you try you can't turn the clock back, 60 years ago how many people had cars how many women drove nowadays most people drive and most people have access to at least one car, so all they want to do is drive to the supermarket park their car outside then push their trolly to their car and drive home. Yes when they have time they might like to stroll down high streets but high streets cannot exist on those occasional visits. As for your feelings towards big businesses that is the way of the world all over whether you are talking about groceries or energy or even who disposes of your rubbish its all multi nationals.

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CharlieK says...
8:38pm Sun 26 Feb 12

I'm quite excited by this development. I'm not sure why the trader in Portswood has closed because of the Sainsbury's there; it hasn't opened yet.

Local traders don't lose out because the supermarkets come. They loose out because the customers don't. I am a Sainsbury's customer, but I also regularly use Eastleigh's excellent butcher (Dennis Cowx) and greengrocer (Long's) in Market Street and I will continue to do so. Too much blame is put on 'big business' (as if having a big business is a bad thing) and not enough on we customers who have the choice.

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CharlieK says...
8:49pm Sun 26 Feb 12

I meant to add - Ohec said "The biggest two factors that todays shoppers are concerned with are cost and time, so the independents are ruled out in both cases because they can't compete on price or convenience." I don't think that is necessarily the case at all. And it can work out cheaper. For instance in a Supermarket if you want chops you have to buy the pack size. In a butcher's (certainly in Dennis Cowx) you buy the exact amount you want. And they will often advise on cooking - free of charge. I think the biggest problem with the independents is that they don't take card payment.

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ohec says...
1:33pm Mon 27 Feb 12

CharlieK wrote:
I meant to add - Ohec said "The biggest two factors that todays shoppers are concerned with are cost and time, so the independents are ruled out in both cases because they can't compete on price or convenience." I don't think that is necessarily the case at all. And it can work out cheaper. For instance in a Supermarket if you want chops you have to buy the pack size. In a butcher's (certainly in Dennis Cowx) you buy the exact amount you want. And they will often advise on cooking - free of charge. I think the biggest problem with the independents is that they don't take card payment.
Yes i accept your points i am not against independents far from it and i also think its a great shame to lose them but the majority are happy with the supermarkets and its the old saying use it or lose it. But i feel that the new development will invigorate Eastleigh and maybe we can fill some of those empty shops.

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