Planning and Development

Objection to proposed Retail Development at Ashton Gate (09/03208/P)

Objection to Planning Application ref 09/03208/P

Retail Development at Ashton Gate

submitted by Cllr Charlie Bolton, September 2009

[Most of this objection was written prior to the release of the consultants report on the retail assessment supplied to the council by its independent consultant.]

1. Damage to trade on North St

It is clear that the application makes absolutely no attempt to take into account the impact on North St. it is left out of the calculations, and an assumption is made that it will 'be all right'.

This needs to be seen in the context of

a. the general decline in small traders

A report by the all-party small shops group produced a report highlighting the decline in small traders, and the dangers this poses. It stated that some groups of traders will disappear by 2015.

b. the sheer scale of a Tesco

It is absurd to suggest that siting a £50 million pound store close to a shopping street will simply have no impact on that street

c. There will be a wide range of people who use shops, for different reasons. There are those who have high levels of loyalty. However, there are also those who shop more for convenience. It is this latter group who are most likely to switch their shopping habits from the local high street to Tesco.

d. This situation will be exarcebated if one of the key food retailers is lost. At present, the range of shops is available now (at the Tobacco Factory end of North St) - all within a smaller distance of each other than the typical supermarket. If one of the key shops goes, then the ease with which it is now possible to use North St will reduce, and encourage less loyal shoppers to seek an alternative. This will put further pressure on local shops.

e. It has to be noted that small traders are much more vulnerable than supermarkets. They can not compete on scale.

2. Damage to trade on East St

The report makes claims about the numbers of linked trips to East St from the store. It is interesting to note that this directly contradicts the findings of the councils retail strategy which says (in the shopper survey for Bedminster)

45. The site visits showed that the Asda store on East Street was a well-patronised store with high footfall. The street surveys do not however, pick up high proportions of people shopping in the store. This indicates that shoppers at the Asda store may not subsequently visit the centre.

44. Although the surveys show that some respondents do make linked trips, covering both Bedminster Centre and Asda, it is probable that many do not. It could be inferred, that the lack of quality retail provision in Bedminster, and, or, the poor linkages between the store and town centre is deterring people shopping in Asda from making linked trips.

However, the report claims that 58% of visitors to East St do make linked trips. If these figures are correct, and if it is also correct that a new Tesco will remove a substantial proportion of Asda trade (£9.4m pa). If the figures in the application are correct, this poses a significant threat to the viability of Bedminster Parade and East St - because there will be substantially fewer people to make the linked trips. This could amount to  a drop in footfall of 10s of thousands per year. If the figures are incorrect, it casts doubt on the application as a whole.

3. Too far from local shops to benefit them in any way

The Tesco store will be located some several hundred metres away from the local high street. It seems highly unlikely that anyone will make linked trips from their to North St, and if they do, they will drive. However, the basic fact remains that supermarkets are set up to be driven too.

4. Local pollution impacts due to extra traffic

The new store, if the figures quoted in the application are to be believed, will massively increase the amount of traffic going into the Ashton area, especially Winterstoke Road, Ashton Road, Duckmoor Road but also pervading through to North St and other roads in Ashton and Bedminster. It is likely to add some millions of extra trips per year to the area.

It needs to be noted that the stadium traffic is only moving a short distance away. So all stadium traffic will continue to come to the area, and this needs to be considered in addition to the impact of the store. The effects will be especially pronounced on match days, and, in particular, on big match days.

It should further be noted that the public transport in the area is poor.

This will have impacts in terms of congestion, local pollution impacts and increased CO2 emissions.

There is inadequate public transport to the area at present, and the majority of people come by car. Given that an out-of-centre stadium is set up for car travellers, it is debatable if people would in any case choose to travel on foot.

5. Damage to Greville Smythe park - loss of amenity value/increased in litter

The huge increase in traffic levels is likely to lead to a deterioration in the air quality in Greville Smythe Park. Also, superstores generate a significant amount of litter, which is also likely to negatively impact on the amenity of the park. Traffic levels on Ashton Road will decrease the safety of young people, in particular, making journeys to the park.

6. Defies retail strategy

The Executive summary of the councils retail strategy (http://www.bristol.gov.uk/ccm/content/Council-Democracy/Statistics-Census-Information/citywide-retail-study.en) tells us 'many existing stores will be undertrading compared to national expected levels of turnover' and that 'there will be no capacity for extra trading until 2021 at least'

It goes on to say that at a local level there may be a need for individual cases of need but gives the proviso that these will be where 'it strengthens particular local centres'.

There is no evidence at all to suggest the building of a Tesco will strengthen local centres, and, in fact, there is evidence that it will weaken it.

The strategy goes on to describe Bedminster North St as 'at risk'. It seems curious that it can be possible to further risk a high street which is so described.

The strategy also recognises the importance of 'local independent retailers to the shopping attraction in Bristol'. Again, it would be curious if the council were to promote the exact opposite of independent retailers to the detriment of these independent traders.

7. Increase in CO2 levels/ green city/ CO2 legislation/ councils CO2 strategy

The council is committed to reducing its own emissions by 3% per year. It is now law that Bristol’s emissions be cut by 80% by 2050. There is a motion going to Bristol City Council supporting targets of 40% cuts by 2020.

We have seen that building a Tesco at Ashton Gate will lead to a substantial increase in traffic congestion. It has been shown that it will have poor links by anything other than a car.

It has also been shown that there is no need for it, therefore it will, if built, result in an unnecessary construction (therefore emissions) and result in an additional transportation network to the area caused by the lorries delivering all the food.

Supermarkets have distribution networks which are inefficient (the classic example being raspberries, grown in Scotland, package near Bristol, sold in Scotland). They also have a curious definition of local – so any claims of local food they sell should be considered with care.

The generation of extra journeys of all sorts will therefore significantly worsen Bristol’s carbon footprint.

8. Defies council strategy of getting people to travel by sustainabletransport methods and any sustainable community strategy

The council has recently unanimously adopted the recommendations of the sustainable transport select committee, which is aimed at promoting walking and other forms of sustainable transport. It specifically included a recommendation that a further select committee be set up to look at ways of promoting local high streets.

A supermarket clearly defies this.

It is also clearly absurd to suggest that any sustainable community strategy the council may have can be enhanced by a supermarket which will detract from it.

9. Parking difficulties increase (especially on match days)?

The increases in levels of traffic is likely to increased on road parking in areas where parking is already at a premium. This will obviously be worse on match days.

10. Failure of application to in any way take account of impact on local shops

This has been amply demonstrated in the independent consultants report on the retail assessment

11. Won't create and will probably lose jobs

The assessment also points out that any job claims for a Tesco are spurious and recognises there may be nett loss of jobs. It should be pointed out that any jobs lost in local shops to a supermarket will lead to a further nett loss to the local economy, because of the centralised distribution systems in supermarkets. This is a double whammy to the local economy.

12. Other ways of funding any spending deficit eg Lansdown

It is a mystery as to how the claims that there is a funding gap has been reached. It needs to be proven, otherwise any claim that there will be no stadium without a Tesco must be called into doubt. This is especially the case in view of the flaws in the information supplied by the club in its retail assessment.

Ultimately, if the councillors or council given in to the powerful vested interests, then the council might as well give up and hand the keys of the council house over to those interests.