Dobbies garden centre near Carlisle is not ‘a front’ for Tesco
Last updated at 11:04, Friday, 16 October 2009
Revised plans for a £10 million garden centre have been designed to allay fears that the project is a front for another Tesco to be built in Carlisle.
Dobbies, which is owned by the supermarket giant, wants to build on land at Orton Grange to the west of the city, but its plans attract ed criticism when they were first submitted last year.
But now, with design alterations submitted to the city council last week, the Edinburgh-based company has sought to counter concerns about the garden centre becoming a Tesco supermarket.
A letter from the firm’s planning agent, GVA Grimley, to the city council, details revisions to the original plans and states: “Dobbies is willing to accept a separate, additional condition that will ensure that the garden centre cannot become a food store.”
Dobbies wants to build on the site of Westwood Nurseries, owned by fabric company and joint applicant Linton Tweeds. And Keith Walker, Linton Tweeds’ managing director, believes that the new plans will see the garden centre finally go before the council’s development control committee.
He said: “Every single issue has been tackled in one way or another. All the objections were tackled one by one and for that reason, by the time it gets to the planning committee everything will have been sorted out as best it can be.”
It is hoped that the Westwood Nurseries will be able to supply bedding plants to the Dobbies garden centre , if the plans are given the go-ahead.
Dobbies has altered its original design to include a more discreet entrance area with natural landscaping outside as opposed to the previous, ornamental landscaping design. The height of the building has also been lowered, from 6m to 4.8m, while concerns about the safety of pedestrians accessing the garden centre have been addressed, with the revised plans showing a new traffic island on the A595.
Responding to earlier criticism that not enough alternative sites for the garden centre were considered, a further 15 sites have now been examined and discounted by the company.
The letter states: “This exercise demonstrates that there is no one option that is available and which is considered suitable or more appropriate in which to locate the application proposals.”
Fresh consultation letters have now been sent out to local residents, as well as Dalston parish council and Cumbria County Council, carrying details of the new plans.
First published at 05:19, Friday, 16 October 2009
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk
Another reason to oppose the opening of a garden centre owned by Tesco is the company's potentially unethical practices. A Friends of the Earth report states how Tesco has over a quarter of the market for supermarkets, that it affects local businesses by undercutting them on price, and that it fails to pay a fair price to producers both in England and abroad, that its cheap flowers from abroad damage the environment (air miles, greenhouse heating and use of pesticides). I think consumers have a right to be aware of such issues before deciding whether to support such an enterprise. Should we put jobs for the community before the environment, local businesses and ethics?
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For Dobbies, read 'Lancashire Home & Garden'. This (quite fabulous) garden centre on the M66, close to Bury, Blackburn, Burnley and based in picturesque Todmorden or thereabouts, was bought years ago by Tesco as a development opportunity. Originally turned down planning permission as a supermarket, Tesco 'pump-primed' the site meaning customers and staff were drawn into the business. When press releases outlined the dire financial situation, local Councillors were obviously under pressure to maintain jobs and a valuable local resources. This gave Tesco the ease to offer an affable compromise and re-develop the site as a Tesco supermarket. Don't let Dobbies go the same way - keep the Council under no illusions you're happy with local providers and have no need for yet another Tesco, chances are there's one within a ten minute drive anyway!
Posted by Andy on 17 November 2009 at 23:03