Waitrose Wimborne Opens Early

By DomCar | Thursday, July 08, 2010, 09:50

Waitrose Wimborne store finally opens today.

The UGLY part of town?

The controversial Waitrose store on the sight of the old cricket pitch opens its doors to customers for the first time today. 180 staff will be ready to great customers when the store finally opens at 8.30 am, this is despite advice to East Dorset District Council from planning officers that planning permission should be refused. The council also chose to ignore the fact that letters for and against the building were of an equal number (450) showing that at least fifty percent of the population didn’t want the store to be built in the town? So we’re stuck with the store for the foreseeable future.

For:

The store is hoping to bring customers into Wimborne from further afield, helping the Wimborne economy to grow and other smaller shops to prosper from the extra custom.

The proposed building of a bridge joining Waitrose with the town centre will allow customers easy access to all the shops in Wimborne.

Against:

Traffic problems created by the estimated 200 extra cars the store will attract each day. Will Wimborne’s small road system be able to cope?

The disappearance of a substantial area of natural beauty in the centre of town is a sad loss, especially when it has been replaced by a monstrous building.

The building appears to be larger then the artist’s impression and not in keeping with the style of the rest of the town’s buildings and look.

The possible loss of Somerfield, a long-standing servant of the community, due to increased competition.

The planned court action by the Keep Wimborne Town Green action group could see the building scrapped after less than six months, if they win their case.

What the future holds is anyone’s guess. Change is always difficult to accept and get used to, but let’s hope Waitrose delivers the economic growth to the town it promised, or more of the town’s residents will turn against it.

What are your views?

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Comments

actually it was legally a town green and Waitrose should never got permission.I hope the ugly blight on this historic town is pulled down.Ps councilor d b f burt is a freemason see blip.tv anything to declare.he pops up halfway through it. It starts off slow but give it a go.youll see some familiar faces.ps this was never aired.wonder why? http://tinyurl.com/3adh5g3

By meninblack at 22:11 on 28/11/10
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It is deliberately misleading to suggest that the options were a Waitrose or a housing development. The correct option was to leave it alone, as a green lung for Wimborne. Ownership of the land is not relevant, it is the use to which it is put.
With respect, the fact that the landowner might have had financial problems is not a problem for the people of Wimborne.

By baxi22 at 16:29 on 04/11/10
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It is deliberately misleading to suggest that the options were a Waitrose or a housing development. The correct option was to leave it alone, as a green lung for Wimborne. Ownership of the land is not relevant, it is the use to which it is put.
With respect, the fact that the landowner might have had financial problems is not a problem for the people of Wimborne.

By baxi22 at 16:29 on 04/11/10
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There is clear evidence of Waitrose's success and involvement in Wimborne, sponsorship of the Food Festival, crocus planting for charity in partnership with Wimborne in Bloom, giving us as townsfolk an attractive area of parkland open to all. Why can't those who initially opposed it realise that the retention of the cricket ground as a fenced and locked, private grassed area was never going to be possible once the land went on the market. Waitrose is clearly popular, evidenced by the number of people using it, and I observe a great number of people crossing the bridge, clearly using our local shops as well as Waitrose. Several local traders have said they are seeing a lot of new faces since Waitrose opened. Wimborne currently has several empty shops and Waitrose is a draw for new businesses to open in town. The alternative is stagnation and more empty shops as leases expire andrising business rates deter existing traders from renewing. Eventually Wimborne would become a town that no-one wants to come to. More cars? Well what about KWTG changing tack and lobbying for improved public transport in the local area. Now that WOULD be useful, especially for the elderly and more vulnerable members of our community, and it would focus their energy towards a REAL environmental issue.

By Soobie7 at 11:43 on 22/10/10
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The fault lies entirely with a clique of particularly moronic members of East Dorset District Council Planning Committee.

As land for playing fields, Hanham's Ground was probably worth around £600 thousand at today's prices, whereas as building land having planning permission, its value shot up to over £4 million. The decision by the Planning Committee on the 29th September was therefore worth millions to the vendors. As an architect colleague of mine keeps saying, "Getting planning permission is still the easiest way of making money!"

Do not re-elect the following councillors who have failed to serve you:
Cllr. S. G. Flower (Holt)
Cllr. Mrs T. B. Coombs (Verwood Dewlands)
Cllr. D. B. F. Burt (Ferndown Central)
Cllr. Mrs J. M. Hazel (Verwood Dewlands)
Cllr. P. W. Richardson (Three Cross and Potterne)
Cllr. Mrs P. A. Reynolds (Ameysford)
Cllr. B. E. Mortimer (Verwood Newtown)
Cllr. S. S. Tong (Handley Vale)

By baxi22 at 13:47 on 11/10/10
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