Supermarket plan sparks row over heritage

THE chairman of regeneration group, Todmorden Pride, has criticised objectors who oppose plans to demolish historic buildings in the town as “self-indulgent”.

James Gregory spoke out after the Yorkshire Post reported how a number of national heritage groups and local residents had demanded a rethink on plans by Netto to build a supermarket in the town centre on the Abraham Ormerod health centre entre – where killer doctor Harold Shipman began his career – and the Olympia Cinema site. They feared that without a concerted fightback two of the town centre’s iconic buildings dating from the 1930s would soon be turned into dust.

Netto say the scheme will be good for the town by bringing a derelict site back into use and creating jobs.

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Mr Gregory said: “Enough is enough. We cannot afford the self-indulgence of endlessly looking back. The two buildings are rotting and we cannot carry on like this.”

He said Todmorden was at a critical point in its progress and it was important that people in the town started to look forwards and not backwards.

He added that the Netto development would improve the retail environment of the town centre and would be of benefit to the market as well as ridding the town of two decaying buildings.

Todmorden’s Conservative councillor Ian Cooper struck a more emollient note, saying: “I respect the views of those people who are anxious to preserve out heritage and culture but the two buildings are long past their sell-by date despite all the attempts by people to engage in saving them.”

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Both men are also engaged in attempting to stop Sainsbury’s building a huge store on Halifax Road – a development that has been opposed by many in the town. In a letter to Calderdale planners, Mr Gregory said the claimed number of jobs to be created was “spurious”’ while Coun Cooper is so opposed to the plans he resigned from the council’s planning committee so he could fight them.