Rival supermarket giants seek to win over resort’s residents

Residents are being given the opportunity to comment on the revised plans for Tesco and Sainbury’s before a final decision is expected to be reached by councillors next month.

Changes were made to the plans following a major public consultation and both applications will now be considered together by Scarborough Council owing to the “cumulative impact” the superstores will have on the town.

The council’s Cabinet member for strategic planning and regeneration, Coun Derek Bastiman, said: “I’m very pleased both supermarkets have listened to the residents. The result is a set of revised plans that are back up for consultation. Our planning department has worked extremely hard with both applications so I would encourage people to go and see them. We want the best development possible that we can deliver for the residents of the borough.”

The attempts by both Tesco and Sainsbury’s to bolster their presence in the seaside resort have been repeatedly delayed, although it had initially been hoped the rival planning applications would be considered in the spring.

But it emerged in March that Scarborough council officers had opted to delay a decision on the planning applications due to worries over the impact the schemes will have on the town’s retailers.

The planning applications had been expected to go before Scarborough’s planning committee in April, before the timescale was revised with a decision due over the summer.

However, it was hit by further delays in July amid concerns over the impact the development could have on the town’s roads network, and the decision was put back to autumn.

The Tesco proposals centre on a site in Dean Road which would allow the company to create an outlet covering 65,000 sq ft – more than three times the size of the firm’s existing Westwood store in the town, which it would replace.

Tesco has claimed the £40m development would create 350 jobs and help tackle Scarborough’s long-term unemployment problems.

The original plans prompted fierce opposition amid claims the development would have a major impact on the roads networks and the existing retail sector.

But a spokesman for Tesco said the supermarket had attempted to address any concerns raised in its revised plans – with changes including improved pedestrian access and the relocation of the building to the north of the site.

Deborah Hayeems, regional corporate affairs manager for Tesco, said: “We have listened to lots of different views and garnered a lot of feedback since we launched the plans. The proposals have evolved, and we believe improved, as a result so that we can provide the best plans for Scarborough and offer the most benefits to the town.”

The Sainsbury’s proposals have been given a far warmer reception from Scarborough’s residents. The plans would see the existing Sainsbury’s store in Falsgrave Road expanded with an extra 33,900 sq ft of retail space. The supermarket chain has claimed that the store’s expansion would create about 85 full-time and part-time jobs.

Christian Wakelin, regional development executive for Sainsbury’s, said: “Sainsbury’s consulted the local community on store extension proposals back in October 2009. We listened to the feedback and completely changed our plans as a result of this initial consultation. We came back to the community in October 2010 with our revised plans and received overwhelming support.

“Since then we’ve received around 300 additional postcards in support of our proposals and we welcome this further opportunity for local people to comment on the plans for an improved Sainsbury’s in Scarborough.”