Live Well for Less at Sainsbury’s?
Fencing has been erected around the Friendship on Intake Lane, Gawber. It appears that the ‘renovation’ work is being undertaken by the All In One Group, a ‘multi-disciplined, building and property maintenance company’, based in Barugh Green.
A planning application was made a while back to convert the pub into a supermarket. Rumours have been in circulation that this might be Tescos or Sainsbury’s.
It was confirmed on 7th June, that it is a Sainsbury’s store.
All in One Group (UK) informed us: “With regards to the enquiry in relation to the above project. I confirm that All in one Group (UK) Limited are the principal contractor and have been awarded the contract for the preparation and refurbishment of 2 new retail units and 3 Luxury apartments. As a recognised local building and property maintenance company the above project supports our aims to increase jobs and career development within our organisation. We would like to ensure the community that works will have very little alteration to the external building.
A Sainsbury’s spokesperson confirmed “Sainsbury’s would like to open a small convenience shop at the former Friendship Inn on Redbrook Road. A planning application has been submitted to determine various details of the new shop . The Sainsbury’s Local will provide more shopping choice in a convenient place for local people to top-up their weekly shop. As well as playing an active role in the community by supporting local charities and schools through our charity of the year and Active Kids schemes, the new shop will create around 20 new jobs.”
Adam Civico, Barnsley Chronicle Assistant Editor tweeted: “More supermarket rumours – i’ll be investigating today for @ChronOnline. All the detail is in tomorrow’s [Chronicle], including reaction from neighbours and businesses.”
Sainsbury’s local expansion
Sainsbury’s have opened 73 new local convenience stores in the last year. According to the Huffington Post: “Food retailing is going local. Tesco and Sainsbury’s have aggressively expanded into the convenience sector with their Express and Local brands, respectively.”
“We’re seeing people move away from doing a weekly shop in an out-of-town centre to doing an online shop and then topping that up in a local store,” Cliona Lynch senior retail analyst Verdict Research, told the Huffington Post UK. “That way they can control their spending better and reduce waste as well.”
This is the second application to convert a pub in our area in the last couple of months. In May, 450 local residents and businesses signed a petition against the planned takeover of the Wilthorpe pub by Tesco (Barnsley Chronicle, 18 May, 2012).
It has been estimated that twelve pubs close every week in the UK and there is a ‘growing trend’ to convert them to supermarket convenience stores. It is a fairly easy task as the supermarket does not need to apply for planning approval to change an empty pub into one of its stores.
Sainsbury’s planning applications
Three applications have been submitted by Sainsbury’s:
2012/0640 – Display of 3 facia signs nad an ATM sign
2012/0641 – Single storey extension
2012/0642 – Installation of external refrigeration and acoustic fencing
Highway safety issues
The supporting documentation states that “no issues of harm to amenity or highway safety are raised by this application.” It could be argued that this development will create two distinct highway concerns.
1. It will add a new ‘junction’ to a stretch of Redbook Road which already has three junctions and a bus stop within a few yards either side of the development
If the two car park entrances are retained, this development will create a fourth entrance onto Redbrook Road within a few yards. There is already a crowded junction on Redbook Road outside of the development plus there is a bus stop which will potentially impede traffic leaving the site at busy times.
2. Traffic use of Intake Lane
The easiest means of access to the site for cars is on Intake Lane. It is not clear how much the traffic flow on Intake Lane will increase as a result of this development. Furthermore, when the car park is crowded at busy times, if other nearby convenience stores are any indication, it is likely that drivers will park in any available space. If this includes the area either side of the junction with Redbrook Road, there will be potential blockages of sight for vehicles entering or leaving the road.
What are your views about the takeover of the Friendship by Sainsbury’s? What was the Friendship like when it was a thriving pub?
Traffic will enter the new Sainsbury’s store from Redbrook Road and exit via Intake Lane. As Intake Lane has a weight restriction of 7.5 T, we wondered how this affected Sainsbury’s delivery vehicles.
pogmoorara 