Store pulls out of rebuild plan

Council believe Arla will give more benefit

SAINSBURY’S has pulled out of a plan to demolish and rebuild its South Ruislip shop because rival chain Asda has been granted permission to open down the road.

Head of planning for Sainsbury’s, Bruno Moore, said it would not be commercially viable for the supermarket in Long Drive to follow through on its plan to double its size after Hillingdon Council approved the redevelopment of the Arla Foods site in Victoria Road.

Councillors on the major applications planning committee gave the Arla plan the green light at a meeting at the Civic Centre in High Street, Uxbridge on Tuesdsay last week.

Its plan includes an Asda supermarket, as well as an 11-screen cinema, family restaurants and housing.

Sainsbury’s submitted a petition objecting to the Arla plan. At the meeting, Mr Moore, said: “We have secured planning permission for the total redevelopment f our store. It will ring a vastly improved ainsbury’s to South uislip, improving the tality and environment f the town. That will ot go ahead if the Arla heme is secured.” The council planning ficer Matthew Duigan plained that officers d to weigh up the nefits of developing

Arla site against the pact of losing the new nsbury’s store. Planning department ided the regenerative benefits and jobs created by the development of the former Express Dairy site outweighed those presented by the Sainsbury’s plan.

Will Sainsbury’s decision persuade you to shop elsewhere? See the Letters pages for ways to get in touch