Co-op threat over Sainsbury's store (From Oxford Mail)

Co-op threat over Sainsbury's store

The Co-op has threatened to shelve plans to expand its Chipping Norton store if a planned Sainsbury’s superstore is built on the edge of the town.

Co-op threat over Sainsbury's store

Sainsbury’s has applied to build a 30,000 sq ft store on the site of the former Parker Knoll furniture factory in London Road.

The retail giant, which already has a store in Market Place, said the scheme would create up to 150 jobs and bring shoppers into the town.

But Midcounties Co-operative has joined Chipping Norton Town Council and campaign group Stop Chippy’s Out Of Town Supermarket (Scoots) in opposing the plans.

The Co-op was granted planning permission to expand its High Street store in October 2010.

Chief executive Ben Reid, in a letter to Co-op members, said: “We believe this will be a serious threat to current businesses in the area, as well as causing unnecessary congestion for the town centre and surrounding roads.

“Given this potentially significant increase in retail capacity, we believe we have no choice but to put our development plans on hold until there is clarity around the Sainsbury’s proposal.

“To do other than this would put at risk our members’ money, many of who are local people, and we do not feel that would be appropriate.”

Scoots co-ordinator Steve Piltz said: “We do not believe there is enough room in Chipping Norton for three supermarkets.

“The economic centre of Chipping Norton, like most market towns, is very fragile, and this will tip it over the edge. It will devastate the town centre.”

He said the new store would also create congestion problems, with the site opposite a hospital and next to a housing estate and a primary school.

Mr Piltz added: “We are not anti-Sainsbury’s but we do not need an out-of-town superstore. Sainsbury’s could easily expand its town-centre store.”

The town council lodged a formal objection to the plan in October, saying it would draw trade out of the town.

Sainsbury’s spokesman Michelle Dix said: “Around half of households in Chipping Norton currently leave the town to do their main food shopping.

“A new Sainsbury’s main food store at London Road — the closest available site to the town centre — would provide greater main food shopping choice for local people.

“This would help to retain trade in the town and encourage more trips to the town centre.”

She added: “The majority of traffic that would visit the proposed store is already on the local road network travelling to existing foodstores and would simply divert to the new store.”

West Oxfordshire District Council’s uplands area planning sub-committee will decide on the scheme on February 6, from 2pm at the council’s Wood Green offices.