Fiona Bruce MP asks for full retail impact assessment on proposed supermarket plans for Alsager
Fiona Bruce MP has called upon Cheshire East Council to carry out and publish a full assessment on the impact the proposals to turn the former Twyfords Bathrooms site into a new large supermarket may have on retailing and shopping in Alsager, before any decision is made. She has registered a detailed formal objection to the plans.
The plans would mean a large out-of-town supermarket, new pedestrian and vehicle access and potential road changes.
In a comprehensive objection to Cheshire East Council Fiona highlighted a number of concerns about the proposed scheme including the suggestion that people would link trips between the supermarket and the town centre. Fiona Bruce said:
“Alsager enjoys a more vibrant and varied shopping centre than very many places of a similar size. Residents value this – and many local families running independent shops and businesses depend for their livelihoods on it.
Whilst the benefits of a large superstore in Alsager may seem initially attractive, the profound impact this may have on Alsager community life and well being should not be underestimated. This should be fully considered before any decision is taken on these plans.
Many other towns and villages suffer from a high proportion of closed shops; Alsager does not, and residents I speak to want to keep it that way.”
Fiona Bruce maintains, as she has said over previous planning applications elsewhere, that out-of-town supermarkets can have a detrimental effect on town centres causing potential customers to bypass local shops altogether. In objecting to these plans Fiona is supporting Alsager Chamber of Trade.
Fiona continued “Traders in Alsager work extraordinarily hard to maintain and, indeed, strengthen community life; their contribution to the character and community of Alsager should not be underestimated, nor should their concerns in respect of these plans as the impact of out-of-town shopping has been clearly seen elsewhere.”
