Waitrose Great Amwell petition

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Steve
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Waitrose Great Amwell petition

Post by Steve » Thu 28 May, 2015 2:02 am

Following the approval of an out of town supermarket at Great Amwell, a petition has been launched to have the decision reviewed by the Secretary Of State.

The basis of this is the fact that the planning approval goes against the council's own planning policies and the National Planning Policy Framework, and as such damages town centre retailing.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/supermarket

The Masked Woler
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Re: Waitrose Great Amwell petition

Post by The Masked Woler » Thu 28 May, 2015 8:32 pm

How can a petition force Waitrose to stay in Hertford when they have already said they are leaving whatever?

Surely, if successful, the only effect will be to cost all those at Waitrose their jobs.

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Steve
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Re: Waitrose Great Amwell petition

Post by Steve » Thu 28 May, 2015 11:55 pm

The Masked Woler wrote:How can a petition force Waitrose to stay in Hertford when they have already said they are leaving whatever?

Surely, if successful, the only effect will be to cost all those at Waitrose their jobs.
Did you actually read the petition? Where does it say anything about Waitrose? Or Hertford?

This is about scrutiny of a planning decision that goes against the council's own policies and counter to national planning guidelines.

beebopb
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Re: Waitrose Great Amwell petition

Post by beebopb » Fri 29 May, 2015 8:35 am

Do you think that it would have put the planning application in a better light if Waitrose had said that they would definitely keep the Hertford store open in the event that the planning application failed?

I think perhaps the claim that it will close anyway should be taken with a generous pinch of salt.

The Masked Woler
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Re: Waitrose Great Amwell petition

Post by The Masked Woler » Fri 29 May, 2015 9:17 am

Steve wrote:
The Masked Woler wrote:How can a petition force Waitrose to stay in Hertford when they have already said they are leaving whatever?

Surely, if successful, the only effect will be to cost all those at Waitrose their jobs.
Did you actually read the petition? Where does it say anything about Waitrose? Or Hertford?

This is about scrutiny of a planning decision that goes against the council's own policies and counter to national planning guidelines.
I was going by quotes from Cll Sartin in the Mercury and previously as to the purpose behind the petition. She and others have made it quite clear what their intention is.

Whether there is mention of Hertford or Waitrose is irrelevant, we know what they are about and my comment stands - if the petition succeeds and Waitrose go all there will lose their jobs.

As for whether Waitrose will leave - will they be happy to have their plans thwarted and to be told where they must have stores by the council?

halehertford
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Re: Waitrose Great Amwell petition

Post by halehertford » Fri 29 May, 2015 9:56 am

The Masked Woler wrote:
Steve wrote:
The Masked Woler wrote:How can a petition force Waitrose to stay in Hertford when they have already said they are leaving whatever?

Surely, if successful, the only effect will be to cost all those at Waitrose their jobs.
Did you actually read the petition? Where does it say anything about Waitrose? Or Hertford?

This is about scrutiny of a planning decision that goes against the council's own policies and counter to national planning guidelines.
I was going by quotes from Cll Sartin in the Mercury and previously as to the purpose behind the petition. She and others have made it quite clear what their intention is.

Whether there is mention of Hertford or Waitrose is irrelevant, we know what they are about and my comment stands - if the petition succeeds and Waitrose go all there will lose their jobs.

As for whether Waitrose will leave - will they be happy to have their plans thwarted and to be told where they must have stores by the council?

I don't think you've read or understand any of what this is about Masked Woler, other than reading the headlines and coming up with your own assumptions.

This is not about forcing Waitrose to stay which is obviously a ludicrous suggestion that neither the petition or Cllr Sartin's quotes in the Mercury mention at any stage, this is about the creation of an out of town supermarket which, as Steve said previously, goes against the council policy and national planning guidelines. Have no doubt, this will damage the towns or Hertford and Ware. As I'm sure you'll have seen on the Wareonline forum (http://www.wareonline.co.uk/discussion/ ... 4436#p4436) there's already talk of local businesses suffering in Ware since the opening of Asda, and that's only a short walk from the high street, so imagine the affects of an out of town supermarket opening in the area.

With regards to potential job losses Waitrose are threatening should they not get their way on this, you're making further assumptions that Waitrose are being completely honest with the public that they are willing to walk away from Hertford and lose their presence in the local area at a time when they are investing heavily in opening new stores across the country over the next two years (http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/stores/prope ... 55.article), and that should this not all be bluff and bluster from Waitrose, that the 120 staff presently based in the Hertford store will all be willing and able to travel to an out of town supermarket to continue working for the company.

The Masked Woler
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Re: Waitrose Great Amwell petition

Post by The Masked Woler » Fri 29 May, 2015 1:19 pm

Thank you for your patronising response - you are wrong- I have made no such assumptions and am quite capable of reading.

It was made clear from the beginning that the main purpose of the opposition to the plan was to retain the Hertford store. Would Hertford Councillors be so concerned about a piece of, already concreted over, Green Belt which is out of their area otherwise?

The remaining objections came later and, in any event, really have no effect on Hertford at all.

Waitrose and ASDA customers are quite different and any Waitrose shoppers will already be going to Hertford (or even Welwyn) so I'm not sure the suggestion that it will affect Ware is valid - maybe but maybe not.

Again I make no assumptions regarding them leaving, they have said they will and that the new plans are not viable. You are the one making assumptions that they are not being up front.

Having said that the comparable sites included in the application were notable in that they appeared only to include the most unsuitable sites and left out any which would have been suitable. They also claimed to have been looking for a suitable site for some time - clearly not very hard since I could name several. But then I don't shop in their current store and won't be using the new one if they ever build it (which I doubt, but then who knows in the light of recent decisions)

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Darcy Sarto
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Re: Waitrose Great Amwell petition

Post by Darcy Sarto » Fri 29 May, 2015 2:19 pm

The Masked Woler wrote: Waitrose and ASDA customers are quite different...
Oh dear - are we not allowed to shop in both? Does just putting on another hat suffice?

The Masked Woler
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Re: Waitrose Great Amwell petition

Post by The Masked Woler » Fri 29 May, 2015 11:35 pm

Steve wrote: Did you actually read the petition? Where does it say anything about Waitrose?
In which case why title your OP "Waitrose Great Amwell Petition"?

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Steve
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Re: Waitrose Great Amwell petition

Post by Steve » Sat 30 May, 2015 2:10 am

The Masked Woler wrote:
Steve wrote: Did you actually read the petition? Where does it say anything about Waitrose?
In which case why title your OP "Waitrose Great Amwell Petition"?
Yes, apologies, my error.

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