Unanimous approval for new store despite a barrage of objections

A NEW Sainsbury's will be built in Kingswood, despite hundreds of objections from residents.

The corporate giant's application to open a new shop at the Kingswood Centre in the High Street was unanimously approved at a South Gloucestershire Council planning meeting yesterday.

In a frequently shambolic meeting, councillors and officers attempted to negotiate with Sainsbury's officials during the debate and regularly forgot to switch their microphones on, so the 60 strong audience struggled to hear what was being said.

Councillors spent almost none of the 40 minute debate discussing the objectors' concerns and there was virtually no mention of traders' concerns over the potentially damaging effect on independent shops.

Instead they talked about what £40,000 to be paid by Sainsbury's as part of a planning deal could be used for: a pedestrian crossing nearby or a traffic light-assisted crossing at the junction of Alma Road and the High Street.

The supermarket giant had said it would only allow the £40,000 to be spent on a pedestrian crossing and specifically not on traffic lights.

Some members appeared to fail to understand it was down to them to impose conditions on the applicant and not the other way around.

Before the debate, a number of speakers addressed the committee.

Speaking in favour of the plan wasJohn Slowly, who lives in sheltered accommodation opposite the site.

He said: "All of us are in favour of this proposal. We are all in our late 60s, 70s and 80s.

"Going uphill to Kingswood is hard work, it's a damn-nigh marathon. It would be an absolute godsend."

A petition with 1,274 signatures and 91 individual letters were submitted against the plans, and Kingswood MP Chris Skidmore also objected on the grounds it would have a harmful effect on local businesses, was the wrong use for the site and could be dangerous for pedestrians and motorists.

Councillor Alan Lawrance (Lib Dem, Dodington) pointed out it was the members' decision how the money should be spent. After a lengthy debate between councillors, officers and a Sainsbury's spokesman, Colin Hunt (Con, Emersons Green) told the committee to "get on with it".

He said: "The committee is trying to negotiate with someone when it's already done. Why are we sat here arguing about Alma Road junction and traffic lights, when it's nothing to do with the application?"

But Gareth Manson (Lab, Woodstock) successfully proposed an amendment that removed a condition restricting how the money should be spent.

The committee then unanimously approved the scheme.