General Discussion

I was in the public gallery when the debate and subsequent vote took place concerning whether it should be Tesco at Lady's Mile or Sainsbury at Shutterton Bridge. For info here are some of the arguments that I heard. 1. Although the Lady's Mile site is nearer the town centre, both that site and the site at Shutterton Bridge are 'out of town' sites in planning policy terms and thus one does not have preference over the other. 2. People do not travel to shop at supermarkets by foot or by bike. They do so by car. By car the Shutterton Bridge site is one minute further in travelling time if coming from the town centre direction. 3. The Shutterton Bridge site will not bring as much traffic coming from the Starcross and Kenton areas unnecessarily further into the town. 4. LMHP area is very busy with traffic on Saturdays in the holiday season. Having a supermarket there would increase the amount of traffic even more. 5. The amount of traffic in the Carhaix Way/Exeter Road/proposed Tesco site at LMHP would be on a par with that presently found on the road outside the Tesco store opposite Newton Abbot racecourse. Once the 2 x new residential developments are built at Secmaton Rise and Gatehouse the amount of traffic at the Carhaix Way/Exeter Road junction would be phenomenal. 6. The Lady's Mile site is located too near the residential development located on the opposite side of the Exeter road and would have a detrimental effect on the lives of the people who live there. 7. Having a supermarket sited at a holiday park would detract tourists from staying there not encourage them. Who would want to holiday next door to a supermarket? 8. The planning permission recently granted to Lady's Mile Holiday Park to expand was precisely that. It was permission to expand not permission to build extra accommodation which would provide a compensatory amount should Tesco be given the go ahead. 9. Tourism sites need to stay dedicated to tourism and industrial/retail sites dedicated to industry and shopping. The two cannot be found at the same location. 10. The Shutterton Bridge site is located nearer Dawlish industrial estate. 11. The Shuttterton Bridge site has been disgnated for employment use for some 20 years or so and still it has not been developed. The Sainsbury's proposal could help get the employment units up and running as it will provide the necessary infrastructure. This will help with the regeneration of Dawlish. Dawlish needs to have more none tourist based employment important though the tourist economy is. 12. The Shutterton Bridge site will have far less of an adverse affect on residential areas. 13. If they so wish, people can get to the Shutterton Bridge site by foot or bike as Secmaton Lane, which opens up on the Exeter Road opposite the Shutterton Bridge site, is partially pedestrianised and is a cycle route. 14. Whilst public opinion is not a factor when making planning decisions the representations from members of the public have all been about location, and location is a matter to be taken into consideration when making planning decisions.

Thanks for putting that up - there seem to be more - and more persuasive - reasons than I'd considered!

One things for certain, when that supermarket arrives, your high street will become a row of charity shops upon charity shops

Totally agree with you Mark and the other shops that will no doubt end up closing will be the ones at the Warren and the ones by Marine Garage. And Marine Garage will probably end up closing as well as Sainsbury intend building a filling station. Wonder whose bright idea it was that Dawlish should have a new supermarket?

Where do you do your main shop Lynne??

At a supermarket BUT I do my odds and ends shop at local stores. If I stop using the local stores for odds and ends and go to the new supermarket and other people do likewise then that will work out to be a lot of custom the local shops will lose. Then there is the tourist custom to consider. Instead of doing their supermarket shop at Gerald's supermarket at the Warren and getting their bread from Ryders I think they will go to Sainsburys. Those staying at Lady's Mile Holiday Park instead of using the shops by Marine Garage will also go to Sainsburys. It will be the same distance for them to travel. As well as food & drink I'm sure the supermarket will also sell things like birthday cards, beach items, flowers etc. So those shops which presently sell such items both at the Warren and in the town will know about it once that supermarket is opened. And yes, I hear the argument about not having to travel all the way to Newton Abbot or Exeter in order to do a big shop once Sainsbury's is opened. But what I am also saying is that the new supermarket will take trade away from the local independent shops. I would love to be proven wrong but if I am then Dawlish will be the exception to the rule in terms of the impact of out of town supermarkets on the town centre. Time will tell.