Supermarket supply and demand
The County Times on April 15, 2021, page 3, published the news that ‘‘Aldi has revealed plans to open a new store in Horsham, creating up to 50 new jobs’. The proposed site for this new store is at the Tanbridge Retail Park, currently occupied by Curry’s and a vacant unit. Curry’s stated that it has not been formally notified by its landlord of any changes to the lease of its store.
Aldi has progressed its plans for the supermarket to a point where artist’s impressions have been published for a proposed store with a floorspace of 1,870sqm and 96 car parking spaces.
People are quoted welcoming the news of another supermarket in Horsham for its ‘population growing with increasing speed’. However, concern has been raised over parking and access. The proposal has insufficient parking spaces and as a consequence, the flow of traffic would result in traffic jams at the roundabouts.
There is merit in this concern as the vehicle traffic will be much increased from that experienced even when both stores were trading at this location.
Supermarkets choose locations using analysis software, but in essence they want to open stores in affluent areas and close the stores where sales per square metre are unacceptable. Supermarket locations are only subject to the law of most profitable per square metre.
In Horsham the district council has formulated many plans as a guide for the development of the town over the coming years. Generally, as with most of Britain, it
has always adopted a free trade attitude to food and planning. It is easier to let markets sort themselves out.
This is not generally the case in Europe, and some parts of the USA, where rules are in place that chain stores must provide evidence they are appropriate for a neighbourhood.
Letting supermarkets control our town’s food supply is in their best interests, not ours. It needs town leaders to take back control and use what influence the legislation provides to implement the vision set out in the planning framework.
If another supermarket does locate next to both Sainsbury’s and Waitrose it is unlikely to bode well for the pedestrianised area shops in the town, or help occupation of vacant premises. Surely a town like Horsham of some 60,000 people only needs so many supermarkets in one area.
The current Horsham District Planning Framework – November 2015 , sets out many policies including the development North of Horsham. This included 2,750 homes, commercial buildings, schools and a retail food store to meet the needs of the new community, which should be provided as part of the local centre and help attract other retail units.
The district council hopefully will hold the developer to achieving these policies as reserved matters pblanning applications come forward.
Overall, Aldi considering Horsham should be looked upon as an opportunity coming along the A264, for those with the authority and foresight to consider its location, as set out in the Framework 2015 on Land North of Horsham.