Response
to parts of the Officer’s Report.
Point
No 13
However, Paragraph 4.14 of the Core Strategy also states :-
“The
study identifies localised deficiencies in convenience shopping in
Westhoughton, Little Lever and the northern parts of the borough around Egerton
and BromleyCross, as well as the need to identify easy access to facilities by
people facing social exclusion including access to fresh foods.”
It is this statement – and only this statement - which is can
be the basis for the justification of this Application
Accepting this, we examine what the BRLS
actually says in relation to ‘local deficiencies’
1) 3.85 We are not aware of any published retail
requirements for Little Lever. However,
from our own research, we have identified interest in Little Lever from Aldi,
which is
seeking a site capable of accommodating a store
of around 1,500 sq.m gross
2)
3.93……………
However, despite the existence of a large number of vacant units, these are
small and dispersed through the centre so that there are no obvious development
opportunities for meeting the requirements of an operator such as Aldi.
3) 5.45 Most of the increase in localised retention
in Westhoughton will be met by the
J Sainsbury commitment, which has an estimated
convenience goods turnover in
2016 of
£21.2m. For Little Lever and Egerton
the increase in retained convenience
goods expenditure would be sufficient to support
a smaller supermarket of the sort
operated by Somerfield,
Aldi, Lidl, Netto or the Coop, together with small stores
operated by independent traders.
4) In Little Lever, we have already noted, in
Section 3, the relatively high satisfaction
rating derived from the survey of pedestrians in
relation to existing retail provision,
and this rating may have been improved by the
acquisition and improvement of the
Somerfield store by Tesco. Nevertheless, we
consider that convenience provision
would be further enhanced by a new store of
appropriate scale, and we note Aldi’s
interest in
Little Lever as an
investment location.
5) 5.83 Moreover, there is a short term, urgent
requirement to meet localised deficiencies
which exist in Westhoughton, Little Lever, and
Egerton-Edgworth. The J Sainsbury
commitment will meet the immediate needs of
Westhoughton and Aldi is currently
expressing
interest in Little Lever.
1
These are the ONLY references in the BRLS to the size of a store which would
satisfy the deficiency in Little Lever.
(Please note:- References to Somerfield,
Lidl, Netto or the Coop only occur where Egerton is also being discussed. All
other references to Little Lever alone only mention Aldi.)
However there is reference in the BRLS in
Table 5.8 (repeated in the Officers Report) to the projected localized quantitative need (by expenditure) by 2016 of £9.23m. (See Appendix)
Using the BRLS optimum
sales density of £10,181 per sq metre
per annum this would equate to a store with a net retail area of 907 sq
metres.
This in turn would indicate a Gross
floorspace area of 1,510 sq metres
Happily this coincides with the only size
quoted in the BRLS (1,500 sq metres)
which is also the standard typical size
of an Aldi store.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the BRLS is
identifying a localized deficiency in convenience spending in Little Lever of £9.23m by 2016 which would require a
store of the size 1,510 sq metres Gross with a net retail area of 907 sq metres.
This
Application, for a store of 2,800 sq metres Gross with a net retail area of
1,728 sq metres is therefore neither called for, supported nor justified by the
Bolton Core Strategy or the BRLS and thus the Application is NOT in
accordance with the Local Plan.
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