Supermarket giant consults 12,000 homes over plans (From Daily Echo)

Sainsbury's huge consultation over Bishop's Waltham supermarket plans

7:20am Thursday 14th May 2009 in Fareham By Andrew Napier, Winchester Chief Reporter

A SUPERMARKET has launched a huge public consultation in its campaign to build a new store in a Hampshire town.

Sainsbury’s is this month leafleting around 12,000 households in the Bishop’s Waltham area giving details of its plans to redevelop the Abbey Mill site.

The controversial plan has stirred strong opposition from many town traders who fear it will sound the death knell of independent shops. Sainsbury’s, in a statement, said that the new store will have “a sensitive design unique to Bishop’s Waltham.”

Local people will receive details of the plans together with a reply-paid comment form so that views on the scheme can be made known.

Its regional development executive, Max Whitehand said: “We are keen to ensure that everyone has an opportunity to comment and it is obviously important that people make informed judgements based on the facts of the scheme once details of our proposals have been published.”

Mr Whitehand added: “We are aware that some local traders have raised concerns, although independent survey evidence shows that the majority of people living in the area do not currently undertake their main food shopping in Bishop’s Waltham.

“Supermarkets compete with other supermarkets and a new Sainsbury’s store would help to keep more shoppers in Bishops Waltham. This would reduce the need to travel to other stores outside the area for their main food shopping, such as those at Hedge End, Fareham and Bursledon.”

The new store will meet an ambitious energy saving targets using innovative eco-friendly measures, natural materials and new technologies to vastly reduce CO2 emissions. Households that will be consulted are in the council wards: Bishop’s Waltham, Cheriton and Bishop’s Sutton, Upper Meon Valley, Droxford, Soberton & Hambledon, Swanmore & Newtown, Wickham, Shedfield, Owslebury & Curdridge.

The redevelopment also includes the restoration of an historic mill building, a small number of new homes and the provision of public open space. It would create up to 250 new full and part time jobs.