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Store plan protesters complain to council
CAMPAIGNERS say they will fight to stop a developer building a convenience store in the heart of their estate.
More than 150 objections have been handed in to Havant Borough Council to try to stop a derelict petrol station in Milton Road, Cowplain, from being developed into a large shop with 17 flats.
Residents feel it will crush business at Cost Cutter, opposite, and in turn stop people using the entire parade of shops.
Barry Bateman, a chartered town planner representing Cost Cutter, said the owner Paul Tomsett had spent more than 250,000 in the past five years improving the shop with 45,000 spent on resurfacing the car park and installing lighting and CCTV to make the area safer for the community.
After such a big investment Mr Bateman said the owner feared his business would now be crushed by the competition. He said: 'People don't do their weekly shop at Cost Cutters - they do top up food shopping.
'There isn't enough expenditure in the area to support two shops and the new store will wipe out half it's trade. The other shops either side depend on it for trade - it attracts people there. If it closes it will have a knock-on effect on the smaller shops.
'There are seven full time members of staff and 16 part time. The owners have built the business up over 20 years. The council must protect it.'
Caroline Richards, 52, of Partridge Gardens, Wecock, has handed the council 150 letters from residents objecting to the plans.
She said: 'We've worked very hard and a lot of money has been invested in regenerating this community and we don't want that wiped out by a big conglomerate.
'The site already has permission for 21 housing association flats. The developers are just getting greedy.'
But Hugh Bryan from Ganco Developments argues that a bit of competition will not hurt any of the businesses.
He said: 'We have bought the site and we put a planning application in for a convenience store and 17 affordable flats which we have pre sold to Radian (housing association).
'My own view is that it will improve what's a really quite run-down area. We haven't had a lot of negative feedback from residents, it's mainly Cost Cutter.
'I have been approached by a lot of people, including the big four supermarkets.
'My general view is that with a new building such as this it will actually regenerate the area and more people will come through and other shops will benefit. There are vacant shops and they will probably get let. I very much doubt the other shop will go under. People need choice.'
A date for the planning meeting has not yet been set.
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Wednesday 08 February 2012
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