Why we should no longer want a town centre supermarket
Nairn’s policy of holding onto the dream of a town centre supermarket development, has been a tragedy for Nairn.
When you drive along the A96 through Nairn and see that long string of derelict buildings, note that most of these belong to Somerfield/Co-op.
The reason they are still derelict is because Somerfield/Co-op still has no real plans to expand the store as originally envisaged.
Highland Council is not in a position to do anything about the situation until later next year, when Somerfield/Co-op’s planning deadline ends.
A store no longer needed
The real tragedy is that the store is no longer needed.
A telling comment during the Sainsburys inquiry was that any resulting expansion of the existing Somerfield store can only now result in a convenience store.
And one that planners suggest will not be large enough to provide most of the shopping needs for Nairn, as originally envisaged.
Nairn: just a supermarket car park
Here’s another thought as well: If Somerfield/Co-op does expand as originally planned, it will turn the heart of Nairn into just one large car park.
The historic buildings between Somerfield and up to and including the old community centre will be torn down – to create car parking spaces.
Anyone driving along the A96 through Nairn will simply see a supermarket and car park in the heart of the town.
Is this what we want people to see as representing Nairn?
Retail competition: Why does Sainsburys=bad, but Somerfield=Good?
Also – why are those people objecting that Sainsburys will be damaging to Nairn High St satisfied that an expanded Somerfield will not do the same thing anyway?
Just because people may find themselves parking near the high street, does not mean to say that a significant number of people will actually visit the High Street.
An expanded Somerfield also means the chance to expand product ranges to directly compete with some High Street businesses as well.
So if, as some argue, a Sainsburys is bad for Nairn because of increased retail competition, then how on earth is an expanded Somerfield actually going to help the High Street?
Regeneration as key: employment restricted
Regeneration should be at the heart of the town, but that regeneration has not being able to take place because the forced arrangement with Somerfield has kept regeneration at bay.
The old Regal bar, the tech services building, and old community centre, remain empty and wasted.
The existing Local Plan underwrote the need to encourage employment within Nairn.
However, by preventing regeneration of existing derelict properties along the A96 due to the arrangement with Somerfield, buildings which could otherwise have been turned to commercial purposes, and employ local people, remain empty and wasted.
The score so far
Holding onto the forced dream of a town centre supermarket has so far delivered
- a string of derelict buildings
and promises:
- the centre of Nairn be turned into one giant car park
- insufficient retail facilities anyway
It has also resulted in:
- lack of town centre regeneration, and restricted local employment opportunities.
The real question we should be asking is not whether we should have a Sainsburys, but instead why on earth are we still clinging on to the idea of a town centre supermarket in the first place?
Comments
10 Responses to “Why we should no longer want a town centre supermarket”
Leave a Reply
Visited 2894 times, 1 so far today
Brian, you are so right!
And even this catalogue of woe doesn’t fully capture the disastrous string of decisions by the Council and/or the planning authorities over the years.
It’s true that the deal the Council has done with Somerfields (and/or their predecessors and successors) to bundle together the various sites on the east (town) side of the A96 is perhaps the biggest and most obvious failure. But the list of crimes against sensible planning is much longer. For example:
- the disposal of the empty Rosebank Church (was it really sold for £1?) for possible development into flats – an idea that is still problematic because of access issues;
- the sale of the old bus station (for how much?) without “use-it-or-lose-it” conditions but – apparently – with constraints on the rights of way or ownership of the land in front of it, thereby paralysing any coherent revival of that scruffy and windswept area and blocking any possibility of imaginative opening-up of the green spaces of Viewfield;
- the deal done over the (old) police station site, and thereafter the process which led to the eventual construction of the new Community Centre. These structures, plus the building over the years of the Sports Centre and the bowling club, may indeed be necessary or desirable public facilities. But this incoherent and piecemeal encroachment on to what must have been originally a beautiful green space and gardens around Viewfield House stands as a reprimand to municipal crassness. If Forres (Grant Park), Fochabers, and Huntly can keep and protect green spaces and distinctive listed buildings in the heart of those towns, Nairn’s green spaces and heritage have by comparison been ill-served by local decision-makers.
- the development around the harbour, which has previously featured in comments on this blog. Why could Nairn’s planners not apply the same vision and imagination as is evident in, say, Lossiemouth, which has created people-friendly social spaces and facilities beside and around its harbour area and as a result has thriving cafes, a museum, and other businesses there?
- in Nairn the misery continues. Just wait and see how the development of 4-storey housing blocks beside Bridgemill will enhance the views along the Riverside and complement what’s left of the green open space of The Maggot…!
Tragedy, or farce? Or both? Surely Nairn and its people deserve better than this chronicle of inertia and ineptitude by those appointed (or elected) to serve the community and represent the town?
‘Nairn’s policy of holding onto the dream’
As Nairnbairn points out the real culprit is the Highland Council. It is their policy, not ‘Nairn’s Policy’. A lamentable failure and they should hold their heads in shame!!
The real question is what are Highland Council going to do now. They appear to simply be keeping their heads down and hoping someone else will take it all on and make it better. The C0-op, I doubt, will have the money or will to do so, so what happens next. We sit by and wait for it all to fall down whilst tourist drive past to nicer looking places to stay and locals shake their heads in dismay? Danny Alexander M.P has been asked to get involved, perhaps some political pressure will move it? Not holding my breath!
Somerfield will NOT help the high street; however Sainsbury’s WILL kill all the local shops in the high street. Somerfield/Co-op only sell grocery therefore clothes, electrical, music etc. shops will stay open. Sainsbury’s sells all these other things as well as grocery and will be a one stop shop where you can get everything you need, subsequently killing the local stores in the high street. They will probable kill off the Somerfield/Co-Op too, leaving Nairn with only a Sainsbury’s and a run down derelict high street.
With all this Nairn people become unemployed. It is not just which supermarket is better so we want it. You have to think about all the people a new store will affect. Yes it will create new jobs, but this will not cover the people who are going to lose their jobs as Sainsbury’s takeover Nairn.
Calum, how can one supermarket kill the High Street, and another benefit it?
How big is the proposed expansion of Somerfield? How big is the proposed Sinasburys?
Also, how many in Nairn actually do their main shopping in Nairn in the first? We’re already going to out of town stores at Inverness (Tesco, Morrisons) and Tesco in Forres. And that *hasn’t* killed the High Street!
I agree with Brian in his comments and statement. Moreover, Nairn should be taking this opportunity and using it for the future well-being of Nairn.
I say this having recently re-located to a small village in the central belt (owing to work commitments) just as Sainsbury’s announced the intentions of a store on the outskirts of Nairn.
Extraordinarily the town I have just moved to has a planning application submitted by Sainsbury’s and just last week approved by the local council on the proviso Sainsbury’s adhere to conditions even prior to building the store. One of the conditions was to re-locate one of the sporting stadiums (where the store was to be built) and also contribute to issues concerning the town. The town I have re-located to also has a Co-op similar in size to the Somerfield in Nairn. It is suitable for a small shop similar to the Somerfield in Nairn. And just like when I lived in Nairn I and other people I knew in the town would have to travel to either Inverness or Forres for a proper big shop. Another point is the fact petrol is cheaper in Inverness >>> Possibly another agenda to discuss on here<<<
Anyway back to the matter in hand. It is in my opinion that the people of Nairn should embrace this opportunity and turn it into an advantage. For example for Sainsbury’s to be given permission for a new store there should be conditions met that would help in restoring the town before it is too late and expensive to upgrade the town. For example, one of the conditions could be for Sainbury’s to wholly/partially fund the pedestrianisation of Nairn high street? Youth Drop In Centres?
Well Brian you obviously have not had firsthand experience. I live very near Huntly in Aberdeenshire, A new Tesco store opened up just over a year ago. They have a very decent sized Somerfield in the centre of town. Within weeks of Tesco opening the first few stores were shutting up and being put up for sale. Now there is only one butcher, there used to be three and the one remaining is now on a three day week!
I suggest you pay Huntly a visit mind you, you will only see Tesco, Somerfield and one Nickel and dime still in business if you go. The rest of the shops are boarded up.
Calum, where did people do their shopping in Huntly before Tesco opened?
I ask simply because with a lot of people already shopping out of town, it’s hard to see Nairn being so hard hit by the possibility of driving a single mile to the nearest big supermarket, instead of driving 10-15 miles.
Sad day for Nairn and other small towns that are seemingly ruled by the whims of multi national supermarkets.
I could not believe the “generosity” of the Coop who said they would provide paint so that local people who are sick of the sight of the Regal could decorate it for them. They should be forced to do the work themselves(without expensive humming and hawing by councils and planners ) or swiftly booted out of town. If Joe public were to allow his property to fall into similar disrepair then he would soon be forced to repair it. Why not the Coop?
People in Huntly shopped in the town centre Somerfield most of the time along with the local stores. If they needed a big shop they traveled about 16 miles to either the Tesco Extra in Elgin or the ASDA Supercentre.