Sponsored by
Traders divided over store plan - COMMENT ON THIS STORY
TRADERS are split over plans to build a huge new supermarket on the site of Scarborough Coun-cil's refuse collection depot in Dean Road.
The plans, which were revealed by the Evening News, are for a supermarket with a 50,000 square metre sales area, parking for 470 cars and a 12-pump petrol station.
Tesco has admitted it has investigated the site and has been in discussions about it with Wakefield-based developers Caddicks, while Asda is also believed to be interested in moving into the Scarborough area.
The Dean Road depot site was discussed in a closed meeting of the council's cabinet – the press and public were excluded.
The authority's head of regeneration and planning Pauline Elliot told the Evening News that a planning brief for the Dean Road and St Mary's Hospital sites was being prepared and the council may be looking to market the site in partnership with its partner, Assura.
But traders in Dean Road are unsure whether the development would be a plus or minus for the area.
Derek Stephenson, whose family has owned Stephenson's Convenience Store in Dean Road for 27 years, said: "I'm not at all happy about the plans – they could have a very big effect on our business.
"We've been here a long time and are very well established in the area but I can't see any way that this won't have a big effect on our business."
However, Douglas Spence, of Spence's butchers, told the Evening News: "It could go both ways – it might help business.
"The supermarket might bring people into the area, you never know. It's just business as usual for us."
Ali Shadman, of Dean Street Discounts, is sure his trade will not be affected.
"We sell a lot of speciality items like continental food and international telephone cards that you just wouldn't see in a supermarket," he said.
"Our general food sales might be down a bit, but there's already a small Tesco nearby so I think any effect has been felt already."
The council is believed to be marketing the Dean Road and St Mary's Hospital sites together because they are adjacent and the highways, planning and access issues required for a mixed use development of the two sites would give greater flexibility to developers.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Scarborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 16 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
