Whilst Westfield Parish Council might have been hoping that the B&NES Planning Meeting wasn't a done deal in regards to the Sainsbury's application that has split our Town Councils in recent months, B&NES Councillors unanimously refused the application for the superstore at Westfield as expected, last Wednesday, 13th March.
A lively debate took place during the meeting, including concerns mainly of loss of trade, vitality and viability – the 'significant adverse impact upon Midsomer Norton town centre and a clear, adverse impact upon Radstock's town centre'. It is assessed that Midsomer Norton would stand to lose 28% of trade and Radstock, already clinging on for dear life while its future hangs in the balance, 24% – should the supermarket be built.
Other concerns raised included inadequate information regarding water run-off from the site, the removal of woodland which would be harmful to local ecology, insufficient landscaping and noise for local residents during unsocial hours.
One of the main factors for refusal, however, came down to the sequential test, which is carried out by local planning authorities and requires applications of this kind to be located in town centres. Only if suitable sites are not available, should they then be considered. Whilst there remain two sites on offer – land at South Road car park in Midsomer Norton (soon to be formally marketed) and the Welton, Bibby and Baron site, B&NES Council were never going to be happy about letting the application go ahead.
Sainsbury's, however, have dismissed the South Road site and the land at Welton is in the process of being purchased by another party, with an intention to submit a planning application, including a retail store, this year.
Arguments in favour of the superstore proposals included providing more choice and competition, reducing the need to travel, providing jobs (argued that this would be cancelled out if employers had to close due to loss of trade) and, of course, helping CFH to invest in the company and relocate to a more energy- efficient building.
Councillor Eleanor Jackson (Labour, Radstock) spoke at the meeting as a ward member and expressed her concerns of the impact on Radstock's town centre, saying it would be "reduced to a collection of charity shops and takeaways" and that a superstore that size would draw people from all over the South West. She also voiced her concerns that the A367 was not wide enough to convey the volume of traffic such a development would generate, remarking on the ironic event of a Sainsbury's lorry left hanging over the edge above Combend in recent times. She personally expressed that if CFH wanted to move, they should sell the land for housing, which would be acceptable in terms of the housing need and the Core Strategy, (which is currently subject to examination).
Cllr Lesley Mansell, Chair of Radstock Town Council, commented after the meeting: "Radstock Town Council objected to the planning application on a number of grounds. The main concerns were the need for a strategic approach in that proposed applications for other supermarkets in the area should be considered as part of this; the impact on local businesses; the need for more job opportunities and whether this project would provide these; increased traffic and the need for high levels of compensation for the town if this were to go ahead. Further information was sought on all of these. I personally raised the issue of job opportunities for Radstock residents with Sainsbury's some time ago."
Robin Moss, Councillor for Westfield, contacted The Journal to express his discontent with the decision, as he and fellow Westfield Councillor, Rob Appleyard, have publicly expressed their support for Sainsbury's. He said: "I am disappointed in the decision and I shall be asking questions about what, in my opinion, is the thin ice that B&NES are skating on in their promotion of the South Road site. My job is to reflect the views of Westfield constituents and two-thirds of those asked in Westfield were in favour of Sainsbury's. Surely, it is in all of our interests to be able to work and shop as near as possible to the places in which we live. Considering Midsomer Norton wanted nothing to do with Westfield and Radstock, it is taking a lot of interest in us now."
Rob Appleyard added: "Not long ago, Midsomer Norton were fighting to keep free parking in the town – an underground car park at South Road will inevitably have restrictions and very few people will do a major shop and then walk into the High Street – they are sure to just get back into their car and go."
Cllr Chris Watt, (Cons., Midsomer Norton, Redfield) who spoke at the meeting commented: "The planning refusal of the Sainsbury's Westfield application by the B&NES Development Control Committee was in line with not just the draft Core Strategy, but also national planning policy. Both have been designed to encourage town centre rather than out-of-town supermarkets which have proved so damaging to small market towns across the country like Midsomer Norton."
The Journal also spoke to a Sainsbury's spokesperson, who issued the following statement: "We're obviously disappointed at the result, particularly as we received a large amount of support from local residents for a new supermarket in Westfield. Not only did we believe it was the most suitable and robust proposal for the site, but it would have enabled CFH Total Document Management to invest in the future of their company. We will now be reviewing our options."