Traders oppose Aldi plan
VALLEY business leaders have warned plans for a new retail park at New Hall Hey pose a threat to local traders.
The proposals, including an Aldi supermarket, a frozen food retailer, a ‘variety discount store’ and a coffee shop, were first raised in May this year, but are due to be ruled on by planners next week.
Council planning officers have recommended approval but the 100-job Rawtenstall development will require government backing since it constitutes a major out-of-town application.
Rawtenstall Chamber of Commerce and Rossendale Civic Trust are among objectors to the Swanney Lodge Road scheme.
David Gould, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said: “We don’t object to the land being brought back into use, but it needs to be something people in the Valley want.
“From speaking to peo- ple through my work, what we need are leisure facilities and something for young people to do.
“Members of the chamber have raised concerns about this development and feel we’ve hit a saturation point in the Valley in terms of supermarkets.”
Jan Shutt, who runs Sunday Best on Bank Street, agreed that another supermarket would be surplus to requirements.
She said: “We want people to shop locally and support the livelihoods of people who live and work in the Valley.
“We have more than enough supermarkets in the Valley.”
The Civic Trust said the development will compete with Rawtenstall town centre, and there was no bus service and poor pedestrian access to the site.
Eight additional letters of objection were submitted, seven from local traders.
However, Karl Mather, owner of the Mather Gallery, felt that the location of the site could be a positive.
He said: “It’s not bad as it’s close to the station. I feel an Aldi and smaller stores would attract people to the town, but existing buildings like the old Kwik Save could do with filling first.”
Keith Roberts, from application agents HOW Planning, said: “This is a high quality scheme which will increase choice for customers by providing more affordable options and allow people to get more for their money.
“We have carefully considered local concerns relating to the impact on local traders and as the offer is quite different, we believe the development will not have a negative effect on them.”
The application to build three retail units and a restaurant or refreshment unit will go before Rossendale council’s planning committee on Tuesday, August 30.
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