New Sainsbury's store planned for centre of Cheltenham
SHOPPERS could soon get a new place to pick up their groceries in Cheltenham.
Supermarket giant Sainsbury's, which already has stores in Tewkesbury Road, Whaddon and Bath Road, has applied to open in the town's High Street.
It plans to turn the former Bella Italia restaurant into a Sainsbury's Local.
And the move has pleased town centre bosses, who said it could help bring more people to that part of the shopping area.
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It joins a host of grocery stores across the town centre, including Tesco Metro, Iceland and Marks & Spencer.
Another unnamed supermarket is also planned for the development in North Place.
The new Sainsbury's will bring with it around 25 jobs, the chain's bosses estimate.
It will take over the two units formally home to the Italian restaurant and outdoor shop Mountain Shack, which have stood empty for the last year.
Michelle Dix, Sainsbury's property communications manager, said: "We believe a new convenience shop will be of great benefit to the area, by regenerating two vacant units and bringing them back into active use, creating up to 25 new jobs and improving shopping choice for residents.
"The proposed shop, the smallest of the Sainsbury's estate, will include a wide range of fresh fruit and vegetables, ready meals, snacks, drinks and other convenience and household goods.
"The shop should also bring a complementary offer to the existing mix of shops and businesses in the area and strengthen the high street by giving residents another reason to keep shopping locally."
An application was put into Cheltenham Borough Council last week.
If given the go-ahead, the shop could be open early in the new year.
Town centre manager Martin Quantock said there would be many people in the area pleased to see the former restaurant become a supermarket.
He added: "It is also going to fill a high-profile unit which has stood empty for about a year.
"There are quite a few offices around there, so I imagine there will be a lot of workers going in their lunch hours for sandwiches.
"Some people might see an issue with bringing in a supermarket for the independent traders.
"But the thing about a store like Sainsbury's is that it will bring more people to that part of town, which will have a knock-on effect for everyone else which has to be a good thing."
OPINION, P8
Comments
by Steve_Thomas
Tuesday, October 23 2012, 8:24AM
“I can confirm that they've applied for an off-licence (12/01898/PRMA). Given the close proximity to two so-called sports bars, where drunken passions are likely to be ignited, I think it is irresponsible even to consider supplying cheap take-away alcohol at this location.”
by justbecause
Monday, October 22 2012, 8:42PM
“Absolutely brilliant news for Cheltenham and Gloucestershire as a whole! There is so much positive development / construction taking place all over this county, empty buildings being brought back into sustainable use, brown field sites being redeveloped; there is a real buzz all over the county at the moment!
My bet is the deliveries will happen off the main high street before 0700 as thats how most stores are serviced down there!
Hip hip hooray, good on ya Sainsburys, that corner is a mess, so the sooner the better!”
by thomas1996
Monday, October 22 2012, 7:36PM
“My guess in the next 5 years there will be many more 'little' supermarkets taking over empty shops and pubs in town/city centres, there's very few they need (or want to) build out-of-town now as we are at saturation point already, but the next battleground over market share will be the high streets. You only have to look at London to see the future - even 'Baby Waitrose' are getting everywhere.”
by Ms_Superstar
Monday, October 22 2012, 7:25PM
“Oops! Freudian slip there. I meant Sainsbury's of course.”
by Ms_Superstar
Monday, October 22 2012, 7:24PM
“@eyeopener: "What is truly ironic is that back in the '70s this store used to be a Tesco!"
Well, that's as maybe, but back in the '70s supermarkets were more socially responsible and didn't use alcohol as a loss leader.
Looks like Sinsbury's won't necessarily get the universally warm welcome they seem to be expecting.
Lord Sainsbury must be spinning in his grave.”
by zalapompadoo
Monday, October 22 2012, 6:37PM
“mamma mia it least its not a tesco im sure here gloucester tesco are breeding whatever it is wheter its a supermarket or a poundland someone will be unhappy i say its jobs for somebody”
by TIMONLINE2010
Monday, October 22 2012, 4:53PM
“Parking regulation enforcement should be tightened up next year when a private company takes over responsibility.”
by Alfredo_
Monday, October 22 2012, 4:27PM
“Problems unloading are moot. Bella Italiano managed, Mountain Shack managed, and so do all the other shops along that part of High Street - deliveries arrive out-of-hours.
@georgette2010 - my local fishmonger, baker, etc are all in Sainsbury's, and my green-groceries from from Riverford. That's not a problem for me at all. Farmhouse Deli is a niche retailer, and isn't in the same category of markets as Sainsbury's. What would you like to see in the unit? Care to put your money where your mouth is? Bear in mind that anyone going to that part of town has to run the gaunlet of all the wasters hanging around by the bars and all the tat from the cheap shops that spills in to the pavement.
The bare fact is that town centres are dying, and that's not because of the type of shops that are there, but because the change in consumers' shopping habits and the size of twon centres. Town centres are just too big these days, and people (the same people who complain about the state of town centres) shop online where they can procure the same goods at better prices, or they're visiting out-of-town estates where they can park for free and shop more easily.”
by georgette2010
Monday, October 22 2012, 3:19PM
“We do not need yet another supermarket blighting the town. What will happen to all the independent traders in the area? Has anyone from the council considered this? We have only just had the wonderful, Farmhouse Deli open up, which is a real benefit to this area, providing good quality food items. If this goes ahead, I fear such traders will be put out of business when they have only just arrived, which would be a great shame. Supermarkets are ruining towns across the country. Ask yourself where your local fish monger, proper baker, pharmacy, newsagent have gone.”
by Matt1006
Monday, October 22 2012, 1:52PM
“NibNobs - spot on. You are right about the bad parking at the top end of the Prom outside Starbucks (I've often seen buses having trouble getting round the bend outside HSBC as a result), and the same will most likely happen in Bath Road once Sainsburys opens. CBC are woefully unable to enforce parking restrictions at the best of times, so I don't expect it to be any better here either.
intheForest makes a good point, too. I suspect there's no rear service yard available for Sainsbury to use, so delivery wagons will have to stop on Bath Road, just around the tight 90-degree bend, or pull off the main road onto the end of the pedestrianised area. I guess the PP from CBC (assuming they grant permission) will include some very tight delivery times, but these are useless if breaches are not dealt with swiftly. If they get away with one delivery out of the stipulated hours, they'll do it again. Pizzaland / Bella Italia must also have had delivery issues, but the amount of goods going into the unit for them would have been a lot less than for a supermarket.”