Aldi Plans to be Torpedoed Tomorrow

I was reading a post on Martins Brookes blog that mentioned that if the “Sites Allocations Development Plan” is approved tomorrow then members that approve the plan won't be able to vote on Tuesday for the acceptance of the plan. I'm not as knowledgeable as Mr Brookes on council procedures but there is reason not to think that he isn't correct from what I understand of such matters. Nor is there any reason to think that the “Sites Allocation Development Plan” will not be pushed through on tomorrow by the Conservatives. Those Conservatives on the controlled Development Control and Licensing Committee will no doubt vote for the “Sites Allocations Development Plan” and then Aldi plans will be torpedoed before we even get to Tuesday.

Having looked at the document prepared by Andrew Waskett-Burt Planning Officer of Rutland County Council that will go before the Development Control and Licensing Committee really does a good job of destroying the planning proposal in it recommendation for rejection by the committee. The Planning Officer maintains, throughout his report, that land that has been allocated to employment and that should remain allocated employment and recommends a high level marking campaign to attract development. However the site has been marketed pro-actively for the last 9 years though a number of marketing initiatives including mail shots, internet marketing and the production of e-brochures. Ever since it was allocated as employment land in 2001 it has failed to attract interest. Apparently according to the report the Oakham Enterprise Park can not be used to argue that additional development land now exists in the region which would allow the reallocation of the proposed site to other uses.

The report from the Planning Officer fails really to take seriously the views of local people and does it best to dismiss them. Those that have resounded positively to the application have commented on the following benefits to the town:

• Public demand and support for an Aldi store in Oakam.
• Job creation, especially for young people.
• Reduction in those travelling out of the area to access discount food stores in Corby and Grantham which would result in benefits to the local economy and the environment.
• Increased choice, range and competition to the existing two supermarkets and the planned supermarket Oakham, by offering a affordable alternative for food shopping for families on low incomes.
• The proposed plan is big enough to benefit town, but small enough to not adversely affect other shops on the High Street and that it is preferable to Sainsbury’s in its planned location
• Since the Council have purchased Ashwell Prison for employment use this the land the store will be built on can be freed up for other uses.
• The town is expanding and will need more supermarkets to cope with the increased population.
• Will free up traffic at the crossing on Melton Road due its location off the ring road.

All these have been considered and mostly rejected. It seems that the for addition provision for another supermarket in the town will largely be satisfied by the previously approved Sainsbury’s store on Barleythorpe Road. This is despite people wanting a store in the town that provide discounted quality food that people on low incomes can afford.

All the ways you look at it the plan looks like it will be rejected on Tuesday and all we can do is try and make ourselves heard and show our support and hope for the best and that reason takes over from stupidity at the Council. Two documents that might interest you are the report prepared by Andrew Waskett-Burt Planning Officer, Planning Rejection Recommendation, and the response by the developers, Response to the Rejection Recommendation. If you want to e-mail the councillors on the Development Control and Licensing Committee there details are as follows:

Mr M E Baines democratic@rutland.gov.uk
Mrs C L Vernon cvernon@rutland.gov.uk
Mr D C Hollis dhollis@rutland.gov.uk
Mr T C King tking@rutland.gov.uk
Mrs C J Cartwright cjcartwright@rutland.gov.uk
Mr J Lammie jlammie@rutland.gov.uk
Mr W J Cross wcross@rutland.gov.uk
Mr M A Oxley moxley@rutland.gov.uk
Mr J T Dale jdale@rutland.gov.uk
Mr C A Parsons cparsons@rutland.gov.uk
Mr R J Gale rgale@rutland.gov.uk
Mr M R Woodcock mwoodcock@rutland.gov.uk

One thing, I think, is for sure if the plan is rejected on Tuesday or torpedoed on tomorrow there are going to be a lot of angry people that feel they haven't been listened too by the Rutland County Council, but then again when have the Council ever listened to the people they are meant to represent in Rutland? May be it is time for a change.