Mayor backing Morrisons bid

12:00pm Wednesday 6th March 2013 in News Photograph of the Author By Tom Jennings, covering Witney and West Oxfordshire. Call me on 01865 425403

Duncan Mathieson, of Realis Estates, by the units in Welch Way. Picture: OX57601 Jon Lewis Buy this photo » Duncan Mathieson, of Realis Estates, by the units in Welch Way. Picture: OX57601 Jon Lewis

WITNEY Mayor Harry Eaglestone has welcomed plans to build a new Morrisons store in the town centre.

He said: “It is good news because Morrisons has always been very competitive with its prices. “When you read about shops that are empty in other towns and high streets, it just shows that Witney is doing very well in comparison.”

The supermarket giant will create a ‘local’ shop in two units at a five-unit development in Welch Way, opposite Marriotts Walk Shopping Centre.

Morrisons joins coffee shop Costa, toy store The Entertainer and an as-yet-unnamed store in the units, which developer Realis Estates hopes to complete by Easter.

The Morrisons M store will open in June and sell fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and bakery, as well as other groceries.

Business leaders agreed with the mayor that Witney is bucking the national trend of declining high streets.

Chamber of Commerce chairman Lesley Semaine said: “A big name coming to Witney shows we are still expanding and the town is becoming more popular.

“I think there are far more reasons to come to Witney now than Oxford and Swindon.”

But she questioned the need for a shop similar to those already in Witney and the lack of independent retailers opening in the new development.

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She added: “I hope as well as the big names coming to Witney we get a few more independents so we can have a balance. That is very important to keep the town thriving as it is.”

Morrisons will take a 3,250 sq ft double unit, larger than those taken by The Entertainer (2,400 sq ft) and Costa (1,250 sq ft).

The company will not require planning permission to change the use.

Realis Estates said it was in discussions with “several popular high street brands” interested in the remaining 1,305 sq ft unit.

Managing director Duncan Mathieson said: “To have secured tenants for four out of the five units before the scheme is completed is a fantastic achievement.

“The range of operators in this development makes it an important addition to the town and greatly improves the link between High Street and Marriotts Close.”

Comments (13)

12:24pm Wed 6 Mar 13

xjohnx says...

Local businesses spend their profits locally.

International businesses spend their profits outside the community.

Yeh! Lets have lots more international businesses paying low wages and sucking money out of the locality.

Go for it Mayor !
Local businesses spend their profits locally. International businesses spend their profits outside the community. Yeh! Lets have lots more international businesses paying low wages and sucking money out of the locality. Go for it Mayor ! xjohnx

12:35pm Wed 6 Mar 13

H.J.Harris says...

Nice vote of confidence in the town, my only concern is that the M stores are marketed as "Convenience" stores and there is no parking directly outside for people to stop and dash in for small amounts of shopping like they can with the small Tescos and not enough housing close by to make it a local shop to walk to.
Hopefully it will make smaller shops feel it is worthwhile moving in as long as the costs are reasonable.

I thought Morrisons is a British owned company.
Nice vote of confidence in the town, my only concern is that the M stores are marketed as "Convenience" stores and there is no parking directly outside for people to stop and dash in for small amounts of shopping like they can with the small Tescos and not enough housing close by to make it a local shop to walk to. Hopefully it will make smaller shops feel it is worthwhile moving in as long as the costs are reasonable. I thought Morrisons is a British owned company. H.J.Harris

4:05pm Wed 6 Mar 13

online_reader says...

Morrisons is a British company, their head office is in Thornbury, Bradford. The only store they have outside of the UK is in Gibraltar. They do have a Hong Kong office for the purpose of sourcing products from China and the Far East to sell in the UK.
Morrisons is a British company, their head office is in Thornbury, Bradford. The only store they have outside of the UK is in Gibraltar. They do have a Hong Kong office for the purpose of sourcing products from China and the Far East to sell in the UK. online_reader

4:19pm Wed 6 Mar 13

maysie says...

I find it interesting that this new development is not have a problem filling the units. Yet over the road Marriots has struggled to fill units. I can only assume rents are higher in marriots. Cannot wait to get my hands on some Morrisons Tiger bread its the best!
I find it interesting that this new development is not have a problem filling the units. Yet over the road Marriots has struggled to fill units. I can only assume rents are higher in marriots. Cannot wait to get my hands on some Morrisons Tiger bread its the best! maysie

5:53pm Wed 6 Mar 13

oxongirl says...

Can we have Merlins back please?
Can we have Merlins back please? oxongirl

7:50pm Wed 6 Mar 13

H.J.Harris says...

oxongirl wrote:
Can we have Merlins back please?
I think I saw a notice in their window before the shop closed down saying they hoped to re-open in Marriot's Walk.
[quote][p][bold]oxongirl[/bold] wrote: Can we have Merlins back please?[/p][/quote]I think I saw a notice in their window before the shop closed down saying they hoped to re-open in Marriot's Walk. H.J.Harris

5:44am Thu 7 Mar 13

Phian says...

oxongirl wrote:
Can we have Merlins back please?
even better, bring back "Soppy Sam's" , or is that going back too far ?

oh such nostalgia.
[quote][p][bold]oxongirl[/bold] wrote: Can we have Merlins back please?[/p][/quote]even better, bring back "Soppy Sam's" , or is that going back too far ? oh such nostalgia. Phian

9:03am Thu 7 Mar 13

xjohnx says...

online_reader wrote:
Morrisons is a British company, their head office is in Thornbury, Bradford. The only store they have outside of the UK is in Gibraltar. They do have a Hong Kong office for the purpose of sourcing products from China and the Far East to sell in the UK.
That's a lot of money being exported.

Do we really need to transport supermarket goods half way round the world.

P.S. Ikea imported cake contaminated with sewage. It came from China. Cake shipped round the world. Madness!

PPS Morrisons shares are largely held by overseas businesses.
[quote][p][bold]online_reader[/bold] wrote: Morrisons is a British company, their head office is in Thornbury, Bradford. The only store they have outside of the UK is in Gibraltar. They do have a Hong Kong office for the purpose of sourcing products from China and the Far East to sell in the UK.[/p][/quote]That's a lot of money being exported. Do we really need to transport supermarket goods half way round the world. P.S. Ikea imported cake contaminated with sewage. It came from China. Cake shipped round the world. Madness! PPS Morrisons shares are largely held by overseas businesses. xjohnx

8:21am Fri 8 Mar 13

PDplum says...

i wish people would stop going on about the need for "independent" shops.

In this economy we don't want expensive bespoke items. We want to be able to afford to but the products on sale!
i wish people would stop going on about the need for "independent" shops. In this economy we don't want expensive bespoke items. We want to be able to afford to but the products on sale! PDplum

8:01pm Fri 8 Mar 13

WitneyGreen says...

I think we'd just like Merlins back, please.
I think we'd just like Merlins back, please. WitneyGreen

10:48am Sat 9 Mar 13

Mjacks says...

Spoke to a Lady who used to work in Merlins this week....They are still looking for suitable premises to use...So hopefully soon they will be back. They can't go into the new development as the rent is too high!!!!!
Spoke to a Lady who used to work in Merlins this week....They are still looking for suitable premises to use...So hopefully soon they will be back. They can't go into the new development as the rent is too high!!!!! Mjacks

9:25pm Mon 11 Mar 13

the wizard says...

Lesley Semaine was interviewed,

But she questioned the need for a shop similar to those already in Witney and the lack of independent retailers opening in the new development.

and she is the landlady of a pub, so don't we have enough of those in EVERY town, all of them same-ish, selling beer, fags and food, but Lesley some give a far better experience than yours, and that is what the public wants, hence Wetherspoons, and probably why you objected to them coming into town, nimby.
Lesley Semaine was interviewed, But she questioned the need for a shop similar to those already in Witney and the lack of independent retailers opening in the new development. and she is the landlady of a pub, so don't we have enough of those in EVERY town, all of them same-ish, selling beer, fags and food, but Lesley some give a far better experience than yours, and that is what the public wants, hence Wetherspoons, and probably why you objected to them coming into town, nimby. the wizard

2:03pm Sat 23 Mar 13

H.J.Harris says...

the wizard wrote:
Lesley Semaine was interviewed,

But she questioned the need for a shop similar to those already in Witney and the lack of independent retailers opening in the new development.

and she is the landlady of a pub, so don't we have enough of those in EVERY town, all of them same-ish, selling beer, fags and food, but Lesley some give a far better experience than yours, and that is what the public wants, hence Wetherspoons, and probably why you objected to them coming into town, nimby.
I don't know Lesley Semaine personally but would far rather go to her establisment than Wetherspoons. I'm not knocking the latter but am pleased that we have a variety of pubs in our town.
[quote][p][bold]the wizard[/bold] wrote: Lesley Semaine was interviewed, But she questioned the need for a shop similar to those already in Witney and the lack of independent retailers opening in the new development. and she is the landlady of a pub, so don't we have enough of those in EVERY town, all of them same-ish, selling beer, fags and food, but Lesley some give a far better experience than yours, and that is what the public wants, hence Wetherspoons, and probably why you objected to them coming into town, nimby.[/p][/quote]I don't know Lesley Semaine personally but would far rather go to her establisment than Wetherspoons. I'm not knocking the latter but am pleased that we have a variety of pubs in our town. H.J.Harris

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