Sainsbury's store win brings council bill (From The Argus)
Get involved: Send your news, views, pictures and video by texting SUPIC to 80360 or email us.
Sainsbury's store win brings council bill
1:40pm Friday 6th January 2012 in Business News By Tim Ridgway
The former Caffyns garage in Preston Road, Brighton, will become the city's tenth Sainbury's supermarket
A supermarket which was opposed by hundreds of residents is to open after a planning inspector rubbished councillors’ reasons to reject it.
Sainsbury’s put forward plans to convert the former Caffyns garage in Preston Road, Brighton, into two retail units after it bought the site in 2009.
But the plans for its tenth store in the city were thrown out by Brighton and Hove City Council when members of its planning committee went against their own experts’ advice last April.
Opposition
The scheme had been opposed by hundreds of residents.
But Sainsbury’s was last night told it could open the store after the Planning Inspectorate ruled the council was wrong to try to stop it.
It means the city council, which opposed the plans on transport issues and the damage it would cause to existing businesses, now faces a bill for legal costs, which could come to tens of thousands of pounds.
But last night a council spokeswoman said she expected the costs would be “minimal”.
Transport cabinet member Ian Davey said it was “disappointing”, adding the decision risked “undermining local democracy”.
Coun Davey said: “Councillors were concerned that it would have a detrimental impact upon other local shops in the area.
“Even the inspector said that Sainsbury’s arguments that it wouldn't were not convincing and that the possibility of them having to close down cannot be discounted.
“I only hope that isn't the case and that the existing local stores can survive."
The firm’s plans for the site were first knocked back in October 2010.
Mark Rush, regional acquisitions manager for Sainsbury’s, said: “We are delighted that our appeal has been upheld."
Comments(42)
Sausage Street Resident
says...
2:02pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Hove Actually
says...
2:05pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Time will tell, but if you cannot wait that long i reckon Sainsburys will not be worrying too much about the investmant
deve
says...
2:53pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Occupy Brighton supporter
says...
3:07pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Ohnotagain !
says...
3:25pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Occupy Brighton supporter wrote:Brilliant news for Preston Park residents
Yet another Sainsburys in Brighton. The sooner the masses realise that this country is controlled by the rich few and rise up the better.
The more Sainsburys the better !!
I love sainsburys !!
the sooner occupy Brighton supporter gets lost, the better
The country will ALWAYS be run by the rich...
cancelaccount
says...
3:35pm Fri 6 Jan 12
cancelaccount
says...
3:37pm Fri 6 Jan 12
leach1527
says...
3:56pm Fri 6 Jan 12
mtmoocher
says...
4:04pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Blue01
says...
4:22pm Fri 6 Jan 12
deve
says...
4:25pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Occupy Brighton supporter
says...
5:22pm Fri 6 Jan 12
deve wrote:Just because a cause is 'so yesterday' it doesn't make it irrelevant for today.
Lets see how many customers the shop gets before believing the majority of people are against it. It appears a vocal minority think they speak for the majority. Occupy Brighton supporter is a good example - the fact is there is a problem and its your head and your attitude towards anybody expressing a different belief than yourself. Using expressions like "the sooner the masses realise that this country is controlled by the rich" are so yesterday. Keep up and realise most people dont see the problem as you do - in fact they so see you as the problem and not part of the solution.
Whenever I come to visit Brighton I'm amazed by how big business has just been destroying the city I used to love visiting.
Fight Back
says...
5:45pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Occupy Brighton supporter wrote:What a ridiculous statement. Next time try organising your protest in your home town then rather than inflicting your stupidity on us.
deve wrote:Just because a cause is 'so yesterday' it doesn't make it irrelevant for today.
Lets see how many customers the shop gets before believing the majority of people are against it. It appears a vocal minority think they speak for the majority. Occupy Brighton supporter is a good example - the fact is there is a problem and its your head and your attitude towards anybody expressing a different belief than yourself. Using expressions like "the sooner the masses realise that this country is controlled by the rich" are so yesterday. Keep up and realise most people dont see the problem as you do - in fact they so see you as the problem and not part of the solution.
Whenever I come to visit Brighton I'm amazed by how big business has just been destroying the city I used to love visiting.
Sainsburys and Tescos provide a valuable service to local residents - goods at reasonable prices as well as jobs. Before anybody kicks off about them being low paid jobs they are at least jobs and come with considerable corporate benefits ( something the Occupy crew don't like ! ).
At least Sainsburys understands customer service unlike many independents and the Co-Op !
So lets see, should the site be left as a derelict ex-car sales sites or should a Supermarket revive it .... hmmmmm hard one !
leobrighton
says...
6:09pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Yes i'm right
says...
6:30pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Bendbob
says...
6:43pm Fri 6 Jan 12
sandalman
says...
6:43pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Pier Reviewer
says...
6:57pm Fri 6 Jan 12
sandalman
says...
7:55pm Fri 6 Jan 12
y add to the burden by exporting our money? by the way I am not an expert in economics,enjoy your day, ta ta.
Matt@onbeach
says...
7:55pm Fri 6 Jan 12
sandalman
says...
8:04pm Fri 6 Jan 12
keswick
says...
8:24pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Occupy Brighton supporter wrote:Well I have an idea for you, don't come here then you won't have to witness the city being destroyed by big businesses.
deve wrote:Just because a cause is 'so yesterday' it doesn't make it irrelevant for today.
Lets see how many customers the shop gets before believing the majority of people are against it. It appears a vocal minority think they speak for the majority. Occupy Brighton supporter is a good example - the fact is there is a problem and its your head and your attitude towards anybody expressing a different belief than yourself. Using expressions like "the sooner the masses realise that this country is controlled by the rich" are so yesterday. Keep up and realise most people dont see the problem as you do - in fact they so see you as the problem and not part of the solution.
Whenever I come to visit Brighton I'm amazed by how big business has just been destroying the city I used to love visiting.
AmboGuy
says...
8:48pm Fri 6 Jan 12
sandalman wrote:Actually I was thinking of buying a pet Tiger cub to keep in my tiny city centre studio flat - obviously when it gets too big I'll get rid of it.
sorry about the text I may be dyslexic or clumsy with my hands, I shall repost,anyway,ban tiger farms in China,you may unwittingly be paying for the practice!!! if you do have any money please spend it wisely:)
Could you recommend anywhere that sells them (but, you know, on the cheap like)?
pistachionut
says...
9:09pm Fri 6 Jan 12
Bright Orange lights illuminating a dull area, it will be like Christmas all year round.
HJarrs
says...
9:21pm Fri 6 Jan 12
A few more supermarkets and we should consider a name change to Crawley-on-sea.
Here's hoping!
sandalman
says...
10:28pm Fri 6 Jan 12
george smith
says...
10:32pm Fri 6 Jan 12
leobrighton wrote:Is it preston Park or Withdean there. Preston Park councillors are all green
Just shows what hypocrites the councillors are. They didn't worry about other local businesses when they approved all the previous 9 stores in the city so why pick on this one?
davyboy
says...
10:46pm Fri 6 Jan 12
timfusciardi
says...
9:28am Sat 7 Jan 12
fangbanger
says...
12:02pm Sat 7 Jan 12
Yes it will make the end of my street busier with traffic, but it's better than having the place vacant and vandalised. Opening hours of 7am - 11pm seem sensible and now we might actually have a decent shop to buy fresh produce from within easy walking distance. The Newsagent won't lose my custom, as they are so overpriced I avoid the place like the plague.
The Planning Committee have now wasted thousands of pounds of Council Tax Payers money on this and now have to pay a settlement to Sainsbury's.
Brighton’s own Planning rules (http://www.brighton
-hove.gov.uk/downloa
ds/bhcc/COMMENTING_O
N_PLANNING_APPLICATI
ONS.pdf) state that “Loss of Trade from Competing Businesses cannot be taken into account” – which unbelievably was a reason stated by at least two Councillors as a legitimate reason for rejecting the application!
Notably there were no objections from the Police, the Fire Service, Licensing or Environmental Health.
The Planning Inspectorate report states:
"The possibility of the nearby off-license and newsagents being forced to close down cannot be discounted. In planning terms the importance to be given to this eventuality is limited as the parade is not a designated local centre. In addition, it is not the purpose of the planning system to protect individual traders. Indeed, PPS4 explains that the Government wants competition and enhanced consumer choice and does not distinguish between small, locally-run businesses and national companies. As far as provision is concerned the proposal would be a ready replacement thereby at least
maintaining the range of services to the community"
There you have it.
moronslayer
says...
2:52pm Sun 8 Jan 12
I've found using ASDA home delivery for bulky stuff is far cheaper than all of the others.
Coun Ian Davey mentions 'local democracy' - if there were such a thing then I think it would be forcing the Planning Committee to pay the legal fees out of their own pockets - before being escorted from their place of work and barred permanently from office.
Berkshire Hunt
says...
4:05pm Sun 8 Jan 12
ARGUS
Do a FOI and find out how much this has cost.
Yet when Tesco destroyed a listed Building and sold the listed building window frames 'for scrap haha yeah!) they were allowed to replace them with PVC after they threatened to appeal using every resource they had.
We have a jolly good Council now they segue in with out inimitable MP's, excellent Newspaper and astonishing Police Force.
All 9 of me
says...
5:25pm Sun 8 Jan 12
ShorehamBeachcomber
says...
2:40pm Mon 9 Jan 12
cybergu11y
says...
3:15am Tue 10 Jan 12
Sausage Street Resident wrote:Thank you, a more informative report on the article than the one the Argus gives. I don't normally knock their reporting, after all this website is free. If however your post is correct, then the Argus missed a major trunk of the story.
Excellent news for local residents, myself included. It was plainly ludicrous for the Planning Committee to cite reasons for rejection that were outside the remit of Planning law and guidelines. You can't have Planning laws then just choose to ignore them because it's a multi-national. I've read the planning decision document in full from the Planning Inspectorate. Quite simply B&H Planning Committee didn'tlike the idea of Sainsbury's full stop...Now us residents are going to have to foot the bill as the daft 'Planning Committee' councillors couldn't actually follow the letter of the law and also 'chose' to go against their own trained Planning Officer's advice, who was actually following Planning Law. You'd think those on the Planning Committee would know what is and isn't within the scope of planning law. Obviously not as now we're footing the bill for their ignorance. You legally can't just refuse planning permission because it might introduce competition to existing businesses nearby. That is the law, and the gist of the decision.
cybergu11y
says...
3:41am Tue 10 Jan 12
moronslayer wrote:Interesting thought, why not sue the planning committee members on behalf of the city's residents for over stepping their mandate and claw back the money that way instead of local tax payers footing the legal bill? Oh yes nearly forgot.....
I hope it leads to more genuine competition with a downward pressure on prices. Though I doubt it.
I've found using ASDA home delivery for bulky stuff is far cheaper than all of the others.
Coun Ian Davey mentions 'local democracy' - if there were such a thing then I think it would be forcing the Planning Committee to pay the legal fees out of their own pockets - before being escorted from their place of work and barred permanently from office.
Up the Albion, Seagulls>>>>>>>>
cybergu11y
says...
4:04am Tue 10 Jan 12
P.S. Hope you get the irony, if not i look forward to the mountains of abuse coming my way and am now going to promptly take cover under my duvet. All this typing has made me sleepy at last!!!!!!!!
Hovite
says...
12:40pm Tue 10 Jan 12
Though it looks slightly out of context now the comments have been taken down.
Back to the story,
Unfortunately with the food industry, everybody would rather go to one shop with a full range of goods, rather than going in and out of shops buying odd bits and pieces.
It’s the market forces that drive this.
Another factor is that food is perishable and leads to a higher percentage of fresh food wastage in the smaller shops, whereas the large stores don’t have such a problem.
toadiinthehole
says...
5:42pm Tue 10 Jan 12
Bladesboy Returns
says...
10:30pm Tue 10 Jan 12
The point I would want to reinforce is that in the main the ongoing development of Brighton is positive and despite negativity towards the supermarkets, at the end of the day they will only survive if consumers vote with their cash.
Where I get frustrated is when the occupy folk attempt to spread their propaganda (no one supports them, with the possible exception of Hovite and Moron) and in the process are prepared to lie.
On a personal level I like supermarkets as they provide choice, which I value.
The Reader
says...
7:40pm Sat 21 Jan 12
Bladesboy Returns wrote:I believe the problem people have is that this case has cost the council (taxpayers) lots of money so that a large private business (who pay less tax than smaller local businesses) can make more money out of local people which goes to a few, already very wealthy non local people. Supermarkets do NOT provide choice (only one varity of carrots for example) because it less profitable and mass production of just one varity is damaging to the enviroment.
Its good to get matters back into context again and apologies on behalf of Hovite and Moron for any concern caused.
The point I would want to reinforce is that in the main the ongoing development of Brighton is positive and despite negativity towards the supermarkets, at the end of the day they will only survive if consumers vote with their cash.
Where I get frustrated is when the occupy folk attempt to spread their propaganda (no one supports them, with the possible exception of Hovite and Moron) and in the process are prepared to lie.
On a personal level I like supermarkets as they provide choice, which I value.
Maybe when the large chaines like tesco have more power and influence over your local community than you and the government combined you will think again.
censored says...
1:59pm Fri 6 Jan 12
And that goes for the ludicrous number of small grocery shop **** newsagents **** off licence that pop up ever 100 yards too.