Tesco / ASDA !!!

[NeilCorrie]

I believe that the sizeable development at Aquinas cost around 15 million, so the college will be able to do quite a lot with 12 million at Buxton Lane. And if they need a bit more they should be able to borrow at faourable rates.

CAMSFC actually wanted 60 million originally, see Stockport Express : Cash for new college building withdrawn, so they'll have to considerably scale back their development plans I guess.

The danger of the college moving away from Marple is zero - I can't imagine where that nonsense came from!

Either that's speculation on your part, or you've got some well-placed inside knowledge Dave?

[Miss Marple]

Well  according to Councillor Bisphan it cost around 36 million for the Cheadle Development so this is where we are all starting to think the unthinkable that the college will take the monies from both sites and run.  It is also now becoming more than a rumour that MARPLE Hall is applying for Academy status and is now being spoken about by all elected parties.  So it's not really as it first seemed because MARPLE looks like it's going to be well and truly had over, by a private company.

[Dave]

I believe that the sizeable development at Aquinas cost around 15 million, so the college will be able to do quite a lot with 12 million at Buxton Lane. And if they need a bit more they should be able to borrow at faourable rates.

The danger of the college moving away from Marple is zero - I can't imagine where that nonsense came from!

[Miss Marple]

MIA are becoming Increasingly  concerned that when the land is sold to a supermarket the colleges long term plans are to take the money and run.  12 million pounds by today's standards is not a lot of money and the Buxton Lane development will require more investment than that .  At the Area Committee meeting MIA spoke about information which had come to light re CAMSFC disposing of the two sights ie HIBBERT Lane and Buxton Lane and purchasing somewhere like Jackson Lane. 
Always remember that this issue is more than just an issue of a supermarket , it's about the land at HIBBERT Lane and Buxton Lane  that was  gifted to the people of MARPLE and has  now become in the hands of a private company who will sell without ANY consultation, care or concern   That can not be right !

[Dave]

I agree wholeheartedly with exmarpleite that if we get it right, a new supermarket on Hibbert Lane could give a massive boost to Marple. As we all know, a good proportion of the 23,000 of us who live here do our main supermarket shop elsewhere, and yes, I plead guilty too!

If we can reverse that flow, so that we residents do our 'big shop' here, and also attract new shoppers from neighbouring areas, I believe we could begin to witness a revitalised town centre. Yes, some businesses would close because they can't compete with Tesco/Asda, but others would open, attracted to the town by the increased 'footfall'.

And meanwhile, our kids and grandkids get the decent educational facilities which they need and deserve.

I believe that the MIA campaign is parochial and short-sighted, and not at all in the long-term interests of our community.

[JMC]

Where did Tesco put the coaches on to go to   And just for the record ASDA is reported to be CAMSFC preferred choice, don't ask me why I don't know  

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2019896/Englands-smallest-town-Manningtree-Essex-loses-3-year-battle-Tesco.html

The Manningtree4tesco website had reference to provided coaches possibly by Tesco.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Manningtree4Tesco/188236708933

I know it isn't Tesco for sure that may be the top bidder but it is interesting to look at what has happened elsewhere regardless of the actual supermarket.

[NeilCorrie]

There's been a fair bit of grumbling about co-op being overpriced, poorly stocked etc.  On a positive note though, good to see they're promoting and help finance the "I Love MCR" campaign with a £100k donation.

Hope the Marple resident in court this week for participating in the Manchester riots was a co-op shopper. 

[Tricky]

Another thing is that there is now a facebook group of people who want a supermarket in marple, over 120 people so far. It's likely that the supermarkets will pick up on this and compare it with those who don't want a supermarket, they could get their own petition. Recently an area was divided by a simelar issue and it appears that Tesco put on coaches etc for its supporters.

I've just had a quick search on facebook for a group about wanting a tescos in marple, The only 2 I could find had, wait for it, An amazing 0 likes!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/groups/160277760718224/

and

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Yes-to-Supermarket-in-Marple/256280167727382

[Miss Marple]

Where did Tesco put the coaches on to go to   And just for the record ASDA is reported to be CAMSFC preferred choice, don't ask me why I don't know 

[Smithy166]

Another thing is that there is now a facebook group of people who want a supermarket in marple, over 120 people so far. It's likely that the supermarkets will pick up on this and compare it with those who don't want a supermarket, they could get their own petition. Recently an area was divided by a simelar issue and it appears that Tesco put on coaches etc for its supporters.

I've just had a quick search on facebook for a group about wanting a tescos in marple, The only 2 I could find had, wait for it, An amazing 0 likes!

[sgk]

here is something i dont understand ,when stockport  mbc "sold "the college did they impose restrictions on the resale on it and future uses for the land ,if not its either negligent of them or incompetant

It was a national change, Act of Parliament.  Stockport MBC had no say in the matter.

Further and Higher Education Act 1992

[exmarpleite]

here is something i dont understand ,when stockport  mbc "sold "the college did they impose restrictions on the resale on it and future uses for the land ,if not its either negligent of them or incompetant
duke sadly most people are sad and food shopping tends to be a dedicated trip ,however there is curiously a bright side to that in this if you will bear with me its a little complex
at the moment a lot ,we can argue how many ,people are doing their main food shopping outside marple ,from comments i have seen about the coop quite a lot ,therefore the trips they make to do that do not include any linked trips in marple ,rather they may link trips in stockport ,hazel grove ,hyde etc
i accept people who shop in the coop are likely to also shop elsewhere in marple as its so well located in the centre ,but as so many people dont like the coop there is probably a net loss to the town
now if a new superstore on hibbert lane draws a good percentage of those people going out of marple for their food shop back the question is will any or many or some of them also do other shopping in marple ,most people on here seeem to think not ,but if the nuber of returnee shoppers who then also shop in marple outnuber the loss of people at the coop the town has a net gain
i think the coop is so substandard and its offer so poor there is a reasonable prospect that a full blown superstore on hibbert will drAw back more people than the coop loses
the key in my argument is then to get as many of those people from hibbert lane in to the town centre ,improvements to footpaths ,free car parking in the centre etc

[JMC]

I also think the supermarkets are very likely to look on this site and will know what arguments they need to get around. A quick google search easily finds this site.

Another thing is that there is now a facebook group of people who want a supermarket in marple, over 120 people so far. It's likely that the supermarkets will pick up on this and compare it with those who don't want a supermarket, they could get their own petition. Recently an area was divided by a simelar issue and it appears that Tesco put on coaches etc for its supporters.

I recently spoke to a couple about the potential supermarket and they said they and their friends wanted a supermarket as it is alright for those who have cars and can afford the Co-op/local shops but they cannot and so have to either struggle or rely on people for lifts to Asda/Tesco etc. Not everyone can afford the £5 a week online charge-and that is if they have a computer to start with and credit card etc. A view I have heard a few times is that the people with signs up agaisnst the supermarket have cars in theit driveways. The people may be middle aged or perceieved 'middle class'. A young couple with no car or no computer would be forced to pay over the odds at the Co-op or rely on family members for lifts. I have done it myself when I started out. When i was told to look at it this way i could see their point. How can this argument be countered as it seems to be the strongest one I am hearing and i am sure the supermarket will hear it too when they (IF they) do their surveys etc.

[Duke Fame]

a few more observations
1 an ageing population is bad it means you lose things like primary schools first  ! then secondary schools then pubs then restaurants then retailers and end up with a dead town marple has a very unbalanced population compared to the rest of stockport
2 everything you do say on here will be taken down and can be used against you in a planning enquiry,i would put good money that everything on here is being copied in offices in leeds ,welwyn garden city and holbourn and may be used by a foodstore to make their case ,i especially refer you to the endless slagging offs the coop is getting ,there are two things this governments  current planning policy is founded on and that is competition and jobs if you keep saying the coop is rubbish and expensive that makes the case for the need for competition ,if they can prove their 300 new jobs outweigh those that would be lost in smaller retailers and the coop they win that argument
3 sequential testing ,if the retailer makes his case as point 2 he then has to prove he has looked at all sequentially better sites ie ones closer to the town centre and none of them are suitable ,they will probably be able to argue without any problem that that means sites big enough to take a store at least the size of the coop not smaller otherwise that isnt competative ,i think unless you are going to sacrifice the rec the willows is the nearest suitable and avaliable site
4 it is not sustainable for 5'000 or however many journeys it is a week from marple to stockport or hazel grove etc to shop thats 5 miles each way x X000 journeys x52 weeks a year ,take all those journeys off the road and you make a strong enviromental case
remember people all 3 retailers in stockport and everywhere else know exactly how many times you shop there and again will use those statistics against you in an enquiry and as most of you are making those journeys every week you cannot argue against it
5 best guess is college will go to tender with foodstores in the autumn ,price will rocket above £12m if two or more of them want it £20m+ is easily acheivable ,stockport will refuse the applicationand it will go to enquiry ,start preparing your case now

Interesting points.

I think you are right in that to oppose the supermarkets effectively, we will have to  anticipate the arguments put forward by the supermarkets and counter them effectively.

Yes, the interested supermarkets are  likely to be monitoring what we're doing on this site & the MIA site. They are possibly going through Miss Marples bins as we type..

I think the argument of every Marple dweller having to drive out to a supermarket is pushing it a bit. I'll call into Aldi / Sainsbury on my way home if I need something but few people I wager will travel 5 miles to exclusively go to a supermarket, we're not that sad.

The aging population of Marple is a snapshot really. Where I grew up, many people moved to our town in the 50's as the local nucleur wepons employer expanded and the likes of my parents were tempted by exciting jobs etc. 10 years ago, whenever I went home, the place was quiet as the poulation had aged and everyone had retired.Now I go back and lots of young familiies have moved in becaus everyone you know, someday will die.

[exmarpleite]

a few more observations
1 an ageing population is bad it means you lose things like primary schools first  ! then secondary schools then pubs then restaurants then retailers and end up with a dead town marple has a very unbalanced population compared to the rest of stockport
2 everything you do say on here will be taken down and can be used against you in a planning enquiry,i would put good money that everything on here is being copied in offices in leeds ,welwyn garden city and holbourn and may be used by a foodstore to make their case ,i especially refer you to the endless slagging offs the coop is getting ,there are two things this governments  current planning policy is founded on and that is competition and jobs if you keep saying the coop is rubbish and expensive that makes the case for the need for competition ,if they can prove their 300 new jobs outweigh those that would be lost in smaller retailers and the coop they win that argument
3 sequential testing ,if the retailer makes his case as point 2 he then has to prove he has looked at all sequentially better sites ie ones closer to the town centre and none of them are suitable ,they will probably be able to argue without any problem that that means sites big enough to take a store at least the size of the coop not smaller otherwise that isnt competative ,i think unless you are going to sacrifice the rec the willows is the nearest suitable and avaliable site
4 it is not sustainable for 5'000 or however many journeys it is a week from marple to stockport or hazel grove etc to shop thats 5 miles each way x X000 journeys x52 weeks a year ,take all those journeys off the road and you make a strong enviromental case
remember people all 3 retailers in stockport and everywhere else know exactly how many times you shop there and again will use those statistics against you in an enquiry and as most of you are making those journeys every week you cannot argue against it
5 best guess is college will go to tender with foodstores in the autumn ,price will rocket above £12m if two or more of them want it £20m+ is easily acheivable ,stockport will refuse the applicationand it will go to enquiry ,start preparing your case now